What can you do to help combat this constant desire for more?
- Remind yourself that you are only able to do so much and you are not superhuman
Sometimes, whether it’s because of trying to be someone the media depicts or because we want to feel included or any other reason, we constantly say to ourselves that we are able of better and we put ourselves down because we feel like there is always something more we can do. Given the many influences we are faced with, it is normal for us to feel like there is something more we should be doing or moving towards, but giving ourselves credit for what we are doing in the present helps us appreciate what we currently have and press the brakes on this vicious cycle.
- Become as aware as possible about what this ‘more’ is and what it means
We are all different persons and despite many common aspects in society which present themselves as similar in our lives, we are all affected by different things and affected differently by the same things. The first step to getting closer to living in contentment and feeling satisfied with your life is to become more self-aware and start discovering what pushes you to search for more. Psychotherapy/counselling, keeping a journal and taking time to be alone with yourself are 3 examples of what you can do to get to know yourself better.
- If you’re feeling like you’re on overdrive, maybe getting inspired is not ideal right now
Sometimes we think that boosting our creativity can do no harm and that it motivates us to be productive and feel good, however, that is exactly the problem! It is important that you take time to simply reflect on what you have at the moment, appreciate it and improve on it. Taking on more things in your life only adds to the heavy load that you are carrying and enforces the feeling like you are never satisfied. One needs to tread carefully between adding things to one’s life and stopping to enjoy them.
We are so focused on reaching an end point that we forget to enjoy the journey leading up to it. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, so enjoying the process today might be more fulfilling than sacrificing precious things like time for yourself for a long period of time in order to reach something, only for you to appreciate it for a short while until you feel that urge to do something else! We are living in a world where ‘self-care’ is trending – but for you to truly care for yourself, you need to know what you need and sometimes, you need to say ‘enough!’ for your own good.
References
Cowan, K. (2019). How to get over the feeling that you’re never doing enough. [Blog] Creative Boom. Available at: https://www.creativeboom.com/tips/how-to-get-over-the-feeling-that-you-are-never-doing-enough/
Luanne Grima is a psychology student who works as a childminder with Willingness. She also forms part of Betapsi.