Would you say “adulting” is something that scares you? It’s not an unusual fear. Growing up can be quite daunting. We gain new responsibilities, and with new responsibilities come new anxieties. It’s possible we might feel entirely unprepared for what lies ahead of us.
But “adulting” isn’t nearly as scary as it seems. Once you get the hang of it, a lot will become second nature to you. But until you get there, it’s important to learn how to manage the anxiety that comes with “adulting” and it’s not easy. But it’ll be worth it in the long run.
Make Responsibilities Fun
Nobody likes doing chores. But there’s always a trick to make even the most tedious of tasks more enjoyable. You can listen to your favourite songs while you wash the dishes or dust the shelves, for example.
A lot of people dislike doing laundry, and if you don’t own a washing machine, it’s not surprising. Going to the laundromat to wash and dry your laundry takes hours. But really, all you need is a hobby to keep you entertained so these hours don’t feel wasted to you. And when you come back home, you can fold your laundry while watching television or listening to a podcast.
Learn to Make Mistakes
If you’re a perfectionist, this can seem terrifying. After all, making a mistake can often feel like the end of the world. But that’s okay. In reality, the most important skill you’ll learn is to make mistakes.
See, the more mistakes you make, the more you understand that every mistake can be fixed. This means you become more comfortable with the idea that not everything needs to be done perfectly. Because the truth is: the worst-case scenario is never anywhere near as scary as it seems in your head. The worst-case scenario is, often, something you can handle with ease.
Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
It can be tempting to look at your friends’ lives and compare them to yours. You want to see where you are in life. But the truth is: there is no single way of living. There are no predetermined stages to complete.
Your life is your own, to live in your own time. Whatever milestones you achieve are going to be different from your friends’. And if it’s the same achievement, then you might both accomplish it at very different times. That’s what life really is: you’re on your own path and everyone else is on theirs. There’s no place in our lives for comparison.
Focus on the Now
Anxiety focuses on the future. That’s why when we think for too long about where our life is going, we start to get anxious. The “adulting” anxiety takes us down thought spirals we don’t want to visit.
There’s a trick to avoiding them. Every time you start to feel overwhelmed, forget about the future. Focus on the present moment. This is what mindfulness is about: the practice that helps us cope with anxiety. Try to make some time during the day to do exactly that: focus on the now, and forget about the future, just for one moment.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
When all else fails, fall back to basics. Your mental health is important. It affects every aspect of your life: personal, work, studies. That’s why it’s so important to take care of it. And you can do that in different ways: eating well, exercising, taking up relaxing activities like yoga, and journalling.
And when that isn’t enough, that’s okay. What you can do is make an appointment with a counselor. Some things are just too much for us to deal with alone, and there’s no shame in reaching out for help. If you would like more information about how the counseling process works, please feel free to email us at hello@awakencounseling.com.
