There was a study that I just read that said that 34% of people were crippled by fear and anxiety so much that they couldn’t do their jobs. I can’t even imagine that.
If you are feeling this way I would encourage you to see a doctor, therapist, or someone who can help you manage this anxiety. If your life feels so unenjoyable, then something needs to get fixed immediately. There are many ways to improve your life, but ultimately your happiness allows others to be happy.
This is not a post about being positive in spite of everything. There are legitimate times when we should be sad, unhappy, and cry. However, if those times feel like they are all the time, then something is wrong. Life is neither universally terrible nor joyful. It is normal to feel a range of feelings, and that is ok. Sometimes life really sucks, and that is reality. Be patient with yourself, and be kind to yourself.
I think we have internalized the values of capitalism to the detriment of our own happiness. We tie our self-worth to our jobs and productivity. Nothing could be further from the truth. We all have randomly been given gifts and if my gift gets me more money then lucky me. There are some gifts that people have that transcend being able to make big money. I am not arguing that people should be paid poorly. Everyone should get a wage that allows them a comfortable life. I am simply saying that many of the richest people I knew were poor in other ways. They had a lack of empathy, charity, imagination, appreciation, wonder, and connection and I could go on and on. They might have looked happy from the outside, but inside they were miserable.
Your life may not be perfect but on the whole, our lives now are better than at any time in history. It may be hard to see in these times of fear, but it is true. We are not dying of diseases like we once did. We are not starving for the most part. We theoretically can get a job and theoretically there is help that we can ask for. Life isn’t ideal and many people are suffering, but we are making strikes to make the world a better place.
Hang in there and take care of yourself.