Anxiety & fear of the future
I’ve always been anxious about my future and next steps in my life. I recently graduated college in 2021 during the pandemic with my bachelors degree. I always thought I’d find my propose and passion for a career once I graduated, but I still find myself feeling stuck about choosing a career path 1 year and a half later. This has me obsessing about what career I should go into, constantly worrying and looking at what people around me are doing as a career. It makes me feel terrible when comparing myself to others and wanting to feel a sense of happiness/stability that I don’t currently have, which others do seem to have. I have a lot of interests and ultimately want to help people, but don’t know in what way.
I’ve also been feeling really anxious lately as I recently quit my job due to not seeing myself in the industry I was working in as a potential career and was not happy in my job. I know I want to seek out new opportunities I might be interested in, but have no sense of direction and I’m afraid I might not make the right decision. I feel like I’ve struggled so much to get to this point where I can pursue a career. I ultimately just want to be happy and find a career that will be fulfilling, but feel so lost. The uncertainty of my future is even scarier and the thought of it all gives me a lot of anxiety to the point where I’ve had many breakdowns recently. If there’s anyone who can offer advice, or even just some motivation, I’d greatly appreciate it.
I've always had a plan and goals throughout my educational journey. I just never thought I’d be in this place in my life feeling so stuck and uncertain. It’s taken a toll on my mental health as well.
Do not focus on what others are doing as that's just a distraction, I'm currently watching stutz on netlfix and I'm finding it quite helpful. It's jinnah hill chatting to his therapist and giving you tools to help you.
hey, i also graduated in 2021 with my bachelors and i'm currently working part time at a job that pays a pretty low wage. it's honestly rough when you're trying to figure out career stuff while also experiencing anxiety and fear while dealing with anxiety and a general debilitating fear of the future. like just applying to things exhausts me and it's really frustrating. and also struggling with motivation and feeling unhopeful for the future makes things worse. i'm in the process of applying to one grad school program and it took me a long time to get to this point and im still questioning it and my ability to get in, but we'll see how it goes. i feel like you'll never know the perfect answer, but you just have to take little actions and then feel things out. which is still hard, i personally feel like im constantly forcing myself to do everything and then i get exhausted and the cycle continues (i've just started seeking out professional help in the past couple of months though). and oh man the comparison, i just tell myself that their environment and genetics have worked together their whole lives to get to the point that they are at, and mine are completely different and that has led me to this stage in my life. scenerios that are unfair to compare.
i dont have advice except to keep trying new things and to get mental health support, but you're not alone in feeling this way. and i hope that you are being as gentle with yourself as possible
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me and for the kind words. 💗 @varnpireweekend It really helps to know I’m not the only one going through this tough situation, and at the same time I’m sorry you’re going through something similar. I’m proud of you for also getting your bachelors in 2021, it’s definitely a great feat! What program did you apply to for grad school btw? Grad school and getting my masters is definitely also one of my goals that I know I want to accomplish, I just don’t know what direction I want to go in terms of career and I’ve been feeling so behind in not taking that next step. I wish you good luck in getting into the program!
I’ve been there. There’s a lot of pressure to figure out what you want to do right away, but that’s not always the case for everyone. When I graduated with my bachelors degree I actually just kind of fell into a job that didn’t pay well but I enjoyed. I worked for two years before realizing that I wanted to do something in that field for a career and then it was a matter of finding a program that would get me there. My advice would be not to rush into something just because you feel pressure from those around you. I thought I knew what I wanted to do once I graduated with my bachelors and ended up finding something that actually suited me better. I’ve been rejected from a couple different programs and although I was really disappointed when it happened, I realize now that I’m actually better off because I found something I really love. Now I’m working casually while waiting for a position to come up in my field but I’m enjoying just gaining experience in different areas before settling into a full time career! I hope that’s helpful. Sometimes it’s just important to know that you are not the only one who has felt this way!
@Sunshine068 Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing your experiences with me. ❤️ It’s very encouraging and feels hopeful to know that things worked out for you! What field are you going into? I hope I find clarity and get to experience a field I truly want to have a career in to find a sense of direction someday.
