The pressure to succeed among young people has never been higher than it is today. We are supposed to be good at everything we do and do everything others think they should be good at. It is expected that students excel and succeed in school, sports, social media platforms, their social life, their love life, clubs, organizations and at work. Personal appearance is also key, and we put hours and hours of our day into shaping our bodies after the ideal society has laid out for us.
No matter how hard we present ourselves, it is never good enough. We are a generation of overachievers and perfectionists, and our ambitions are higher than what some can master. The pressure we put on ourselves can sometimes work against our intentions; we get burned out, depressed and exhausted before we even start our real jobs, and the cases of health issues among young adults are rising due to this huge pressure we put on ourselves.
Don’t get me wrong, I know how hard it is to feel satisfied and adequate with what you have and what you do. I myself am an overachiever. But does it really give more than it takes? According to LiveScience.com, people in rich countries are more likely to be depressed than people in low- and middle-income countries. Although we have every possible resource available, and every single one of us are basically secured with a good future, we choose to pressure ourselves into the point of depression and anxiety, because good isn’t enough; being the best is. We all want to succeed, and when others are doing everything they can to go to the best schools and get the best jobs, we step up our efforts as well.
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America lists that in the U.S., anxiety affects 18.1% of the population above 18 years, and only 36.9% of the ones affected seeks professional help. I firmly believe that putting more pressure on ourselves will not help this situation. I also believe that the first priorities of any person shouldn’t be how much you make, how you look or what grades you are receiving. It should be to treat the ones around you with love and respect, be satisfied with your limitations and to take care of your own mental health.
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Of course, there are other factors leading to anxiety and depression, other than stress and fear of failure. It can be inherited, be related with cardiovascular diseases, or come as a result of altered hormone levels and substance abuse, while factors that can be preventive on depression and anxiety is to exercise, get enough sleep, and to eat healthy. But if we take a step back and look at the bigger picture, how can you do this if you are also supposed to perform on every platform there is?
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I think the main take-away from this should be that you can’t do it all, and whatever you manage to do is enough. Whatever you choose to do, do it to the best of your ability, and be happy with the results. Be happy on the behalf of others, you are only competing against yourself. There is so much more to life than constantly feeling insufficient. The goal shouldn’t be to work as hard as you can in order to please others, but rather to work towards pleasing yourself; doing what makes you happy and what makes you feel good, and realizing that’s more than good enough.