When You Need A Reality Check Of What Truly Matters In Life
Make every day count.
Rido / shutterstock By Megan Laird
Anyone who experiences any level of anxiety understands what it’s like to feel like you’re drowning. Feeling as though everything in life is piling up on your chest until you can’t breathe.
Managing a career, a personal life, bills, student loans, and so many other things can become overwhelming. At the end of the day though, what does it really matter?
Too often I find myself wrapped up, worrying about things I shouldn’t be worrying about. When I step back from the issue and take a deep breath, I realize that I’m spending my time and energy stressing over something that won’t matter in a year. Or a month. Or even three days.
So why do we do it? There are so many other worthwhile things to worry about in life. Things that matter. Things that will impact the world.
There’s never a bad time to give yourself a reality check. Think about what’s important in life and everything else will figure itself out.
Here are three examples of everyday dilemmas when you need to give yourself a reality check.
1. A bad day at work
Jobs are important. We’re raised our entire lives to aspire to be something. To build a life for ourselves, to find our calling. So work is nothing to take lightly. Work hard and do your best, every day.
However, there are inevitably days that make you want to hide under your desk and chug vodka like there’s no tomorrow. Things go wrong, sometimes you’ll fail, but failure is temporary.
Jobs are important, but the life it affords you to live is what matters. When work beats you down, have the clarity to step back and appreciate that it’s just one day out of so many in your life. Turn today’s failure into tomorrow’s goal.
2. An argument with a family member/significant other
For me, family is above everything. It’s what matters most. Families also fight. Oddly enough, it seems that it’s easiest to hurt those closest to you.
The only consolation with fighting with family members is that they’re the people who will stand by you no matter what. When you’re stressing over that rude comment you said to your sister or that pointless fight you had with your boyfriend, let it go.
Always know when to apologize, learn how to pick your battles, but most of all, remember that under the temporary frustration there is someone who loves you more than life. Don’t drive yourself crazy with the stress and just make an effort to mend bridges.
If it’s a boyfriend or girlfriend you’re stressing over, remember fights can be a good thing. They remind you that you have something worth fighting for.
3. Self-doubt
One thing that weighs me down more than anything else, is the feeling that I’m not enough. Self-doubt fuels my anxiety, and it’s the reason I’m constantly stressed.
What if I can’t handle this new job? What if that guy doesn’t call? What if I make the wrong choice? What if I can’t make that deadline? If this train of thought runs through your mind, listen to me... let it go!
There are so many other important things in life to worry about. Finding happiness, fulfilling your dreams, making a difference in the world. When you feel like things aren’t going your way, remember that there are others who have it much worse. There are others out there who are happier with less.
When you think about how big the world is, it makes you realize how small some issues are. Take a deep breath, step back, and look at the big picture. Make every day count and appreciate what really matters in life, because we only get one chance at it.
Megan Laird is a former writer for Thread Magazine and Unwritten, former associate producer for Hearst, and current producer for Fox19 WXIX. Visit her author profile on Unwritten for more of her work.