Some tips to help you deal with the stress: Keep organized: Making lists can help you stay on top of all of your tasks while also keeping things in perspective. When you write out all of your goals, it’s much easier to recognize what needs to be done now (picking up the dry-cleaning) versus what you need to block out time for (researching business degree schools). You can keep a few lists going, but be realistic and don’t let them overwhelm you.Ticking off items feels great and helps motivate you to keep up the good work.Don’t beat yourself up if not everything gets done immediately. These lists help you sort your tasks and they’ll change from time to time. You are just one person, after all. Don’t compare too harshly: It’s easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others who seem to have things more together than you do. Remember that no one anywhere succeeded overnight. The most successful people in business, fashion, art, and life have all put in an incredible amount of work and effort. Cut yourself some slack, acknowledge the good stuff you have done, and think about what you would like to aim for in the future. Read inspiring biographies of your favourite people—it’ll give you a better perspective of the amount of work it takes and you’ll be able to get a look at habits that helped those people succeed. You don’t have to do it all or be good at everything: Forget what you’ve decided Wonder Woman looks like. She doesn’t exist. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you are not where you should be —especially if that person is you. Life is a process and you can only do what feels right for you. Drown out the parent who is pressuring you to get a traditional job or the magazine article saying that you should be in a longterm relationship by now. If you are not there yet (or don’t ever want to be) it is okay to say so. Priorities change. Some months, all you can think about is work, others your social life is front and center, and some days are wholly yours. You get to decide what’s important and it’s perfectly okay to let some things take a back seat when priorities shift. Don’t beat yourself up if you feel like you’re not getting everything perfect all the time—just try to focus on the items that matter most to you. Strike Gold!
Give yourself the night (or weekend!) off: Remember to give yourself a break every once in a while. If you’re feeling saturated and worn thin, let yourself off the hook and indulge in small ways that help you replenish and regain your perspective. Stop checking your facebook, your twitter, your phone, your hair, and just do something that is completely for you. Maybe this means buying a new magazine and losing yourself for an hour, going for a drive or bike-ride all afternoon, or having a gossip session with a girlfriend where no stress talk is allowed. However you love to spend your time, do it and let the feeling that you should be doing something more productive float away. You fool more people than you think: Remember that you are your harshest critic. Other people don’t necessarily see you the way that you think they do. You may feel like you don’t have it all together, but to some onlooker you may seem like you have it all. Perspective is relative and your magnifying glass is thickest on your own limitations. It’s unlikely you would subject a friend to the judgment you use on yourself, so ease off and remember all of the good things you have in your life. Don’t discount personal growth. The road to perfection is a list that we each create for ourselves and no one else has your master copy. Figure out what is a priority for you, what you can let go, and where you can find an opportunity to grow. It’ll be far more rewarding than comparing yourself to what you think others are expecting of you. v
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