Sometimes the signs that show you’re struggling can be subtle. To help you pinpoint what might be holding you back and learn how you can turn things around, in this article, we explore some clues that suggest something needs to change in your day-to-day life.
You’re Not Looking After Yourself
Looking after your physical health is essential, so if you find yourself ignoring symptoms or not attending appointments, it’s time to make a change. Try to make sure you eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly to stay healthy, and don’t ignore your mental health.
You Feel Disconnected from Others
According to Verywell Mind, “Emotional detachment can sometimes occur as a coping mechanism when people are faced with stressful or difficult situations. In other cases, it can be a symptom of a mental health condition.” Allocating time to take part in community or group activities such as volunteering, exercise, or new hobbies can reduce your feelings of isolation.
You Have No Time for Passion Projects
Taking part in hobbies and fun activities can really help you feel more satisfied with your life. It can feel tricky to make time for these hobbies, so try to allocate some specific time each week. You can also try to prioritize other daily tasks to manage your time better.
You’re Constantly Tired
While fatigue can be a sign of physical health problems, Healthline says it is often a “natural result of some lifestyle choices, such as lack of exercise or poor diet.” Tiredness can also be a sign that you are struggling with depression and anxiety.
You Don’t Feel Enthusiastic
If you’re not feeling excited about your daily activities, you might be suffering from burnout or depression. Sometimes, burnout can be because you do the same things day in, day out, or because you’ve not given yourself enough time between activities to rest. To help yourself feel more enthusiastic, try building some new activities into your week.
You’re Irritable
Feeling irritable might be a sign that you’re struggling with stress or dissatisfaction in your life, so it may be helpful to try mindfulness techniques as well as ensuring you’re moving your body daily and getting enough sleep. Speaking with a therapist might also allow you to address any personal issues that you’re facing.
You Feel Stuck in Your Routine
Having the same daily routine can leave you feeling bored or dissatisfied. If you feel stuck, try to introduce some new activities into your routine. Even small changes, such as trying out a new exercise class or making a new recipe, can break up the monotony and add some excitement.
You Compare Yourself to Others
Social media makes comparing ourselves to others very easy, but it’s important to try to focus on your own personal achievements and growth instead. BetterUp says, “Too much comparison leads to unhappiness and low self-esteem. We become frustrated with ourselves for ‘not being good enough,’ or angry with others.”
You’re Not Focusing on Personal Development
Making time to keep learning and focus on your personal growth is key to keeping you feeling satisfied and challenged in life. If you don’t feel that you’re prioritizing this, you could try simple educational activities such as reading or listening to a podcast, as these are easy to fit into your day.
You Spend Too Much Time on Social Media
Scrolling on social media is an endless activity that can mean you neglect the experiences and relationships available to you in the real world. If you find it hard to put your phone down, try and set a specific time when you can scroll and close the apps in between times.
You’re Stressed
Everyone faces stress in their lives, but feeling stressed all the time can have severe health implications, including heart disease and depression. If you are feeling stressed, build regular exercise into your daily routine and try relaxation techniques such as meditation.
You Procrastinate
The NYT says that procrastination is “a way of coping with challenging emotions and negative moods induced by certain tasks—boredom, anxiety, insecurity, frustration, resentment, self-doubt and beyond.” To increase your productivity, try breaking the tasks down into smaller, more manageable parts and setting yourself clear deadlines.
You Don’t Have Clear Goals
Not having an interest in your future can be a symptom of depression or burnout from being overworked. If this is the case, spend some time revisiting life goals you’ve had before and adjusting them to make them more exciting and realistic for your current life.
You Feel Overwhelmed
When you feel overwhelmed, it’s usually because you’ve overcommitted yourself at work or in your personal life, or you’re struggling with poor time management skills. Learning to say no is a key skill that can prevent this, and you can also work on prioritizing your tasks on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to help ensure you get the most important stuff done.
You’re Ignoring Your Finances
Often, ignoring financial problems only makes them worse, and stresses like this can lead to anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. If you’re facing struggles with money, try to put together a budget, track your spending on a monthly basis, and set yourself some short-term and long-term financial goals.
You Feel Resentful
Resentment towards others or factors in your life can eventually harm your mental health and affect the relationships you have with those around you. Addressing issues or conflict directly and communicating openly can often stop the resentment from building, and meditation can help to resolve existing problems.
You Overlook Self-Reflection
Regularly taking time to consider what you’ve been doing well and what could have gone better helps you to think about how satisfied you are with your life. You could consider writing a journal or setting some time aside each day to meditate to allow yourself to do this.