silverhound50 said:So, how do you guys actually spend your days? For me, I find myself constantly comparing my life to my doctor's, and honestly, it just leaves me feeling totally drained because, well, I don't exactly have her level of endless energy, you know? Like, how does everyone else manage to crush their entire to-do list without hitting a wall? Personally, I need to take breaks all the time, and sometimes I just can't bring myself to tackle cleaning the apartment or even doing the dishes; I’d much rather just curl up, binge Netflix, and sleep for hours on end. I struggle with anxiety and depression, and I'm currently on Paxil to help manage things. Am I being way too hard on myself? Like, why can't I just learn to be a little more gentle with myself instead of constantly pushing? It's also kind of a rollercoaster with my social life—one minute I have zero desire to see anyone, and the next, I'm dying to hang out. I always seem to live in these extreme highs and lows in everything I do.
You've hit on some really heavy questions here.
Why am I not being easier on myself?
Why am I constantly measuring myself against others?
Look, there aren't any official rulebooks stating how spotless your house needs to be, how many social events you "should" attend, or how much TV is "too much."
There are plenty of people out there without any diagnoses who live in total chaos because their interests lie everywhere except in housework.
The real question is: what do you actually need and want within your own little world?
First off, stop beating yourself up, because let's be real—self-criticism isn't going to scrub those dishes. Try looking at things as choices instead of failures, and try to step out of that mindset where you feel like a victim of your own circumstances.
Do I want to watch a movie or clean the kitchen? If you choose the movie, then just own that decision. Accept that the place will stay messy and stop letting it eat at you.
Try making a schedule: designate specific days for cleaning and specific days for doing absolutely nothing.
As for the comparison thing: think about Buddhist monks. They focus on doing just one single thing at a time to maintain full attention and avoid stressing themselves out. Keeping your peace of mind should be the priority.
In our American culture, the whole paradigm is built on "more, faster, harder," but whether we actually *can* sustain that—and the massive toll it takes on a person's mental health and longevity—is a completely different conversation.
You are the boss of your own life, and the environment around you should be tailored to fit you, not the other way around.
Take ownership of that.
Nobody has these perfect, universal answers; we're all just out here building our own worlds according to our own limits and whatever external circumstances we're dealing with.
