We may also feel a sense of failure that we are falling behind. We start seeing those around us through a very narrow lens and only recognising those who have what we don't have. This negative cycle can be very hard to break out of, especially when we account for some of the dialogue and rhetoric coming from our family and broader society. Other signs include things like excessive worry that other people are judging you or feeling hopeless symptoms of depression. It's because of a number of functions in our brains and our bodies that are designed to respond to threats. And feeling like we're falling behind or worrying about the future are interpreted by our brain as very real threats to our survival. But that anxiety
In our 20s, we face an increasing sense of pressure to reach certain important, life milestones, such as getting into our first relationship, graduating university, finding our career path, getting engaged and so many more. When we don't meet the expectations or the timeline that society gives us, we can feel like failures and begin to self sabotage or ruminate on our faults and flaws. This week we're going to explore the psychology behind milestone anxiety - the experience of stress and unease when we haven't achieved certain milestones by a certain age - why it occurs, the influence of social comparison and conditioning, how we can combat this feeling, practice self compassion and be excited by our own journey through life, and our 20s. Listen now.
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