There are times I feel uneasy. My heart says there’s probably something wrong – I don’t know what. Something doesn’t feel alright.
That’s how life passes.
Everything is on track. I’m busy with my chores. Yet, something feels amiss. And blank.
I get anxious. I think and think and think. “What’s wrong?” I ask myself. I don’t get the answers. Not always.
What makes us restless?
I see this happening to people.
They’re stressed, anxious, and run frantically each day. Like their minds contain imaginary cobwebs.
They forget the keys, recheck their to-do lists, juggle their tasks, and wear a worrisome look.
They don’t seem alright.
Why does it happen?
It starts the moment we begin ignoring our instincts.
All the answers you seek are within you.
You can discover them by scratching the surface of your feelings. Your feelings speak.
But you don’t find them, because you’ve got no time to stop and ask yourself “Hey, what’s wrong?”
It was the cause for me, and I found a handful of ways to fix this restlessness.
So, what makes you restless in life? Here are some real reasons I found (and some ways to fix them)
- Not doing what you want to do
It’s hard to sleep like a loser.
Your conscience pokes you. It doesn’t let you rest. Time passes. The opportunity that’s right in front of you disappears.
Your conscience wants you to seize the opportunity.
Do what’s in your head. Do it now. Else, it’ll keep bugging you.
How long have you been thinking about starting something? There won’t be a perfect time or an ideal situation.
You do it and fail – peace.
You don’t do it – you remain restless.
2. Having unfinished concerns
The past comes back.
Leave something incomplete, and it follows you. Your past sticks to you wherever you go.
Take up a task and leave it in the middle. Don’t finish it. It’ll remind you of itself, again and again.
Finish what you start. Stay consistent. Or rather, quit it completely.
Otherwise, get used to the restlessness which your incomplete tasks bring along with them.
I remained restless when I didn’t complete assignments at school. I remained restless until I finished the book I started writing.
3. Being wrong
You can’t be at peace by being wrong.
Try it.
Betray yourself. Go against your morals. Give up your values. It will get hard for you to calm your soul.
The emotional turmoil would become intolerable. Too much to bear. It makes you weak.
You know in your heart when you’re wrong, or right.
You need to abide by your principles to live a blissful life. Being right brings peace with it.
4. Avoiding what you’re supposed to do
When I didn’t complete my studies, I didn’t feel alright. I was a kid then.
That changes nothing.
It’s still the same – I need to do what I’m supposed to do. Everyone needs to.
Whether it’s about repaying a debt or completing your job before a deadline, you know what you’re supposed to do.
The moment you become ignorant and push aside your obligations, you pile up your problems.
That’s not the solution.
That’s a way of running away.
You’ve got nowhere to hide, and your problems chase you faster than you can run away from them.
Hiding doesn’t work. Closing your eyes doesn’t finish problems.
Dealing with them does.
Solve them.
Start somewhere.
5. Uncertain future
Blurred future arouses insecurity.
You never know what’s coming. But you can sense it, like the whoosh of wind before the storm.
Do a bad job and you’ll worry whether your boss will yell at you.
Skip an assignment and you know you’re going to fail.
Insecurities worry you.
You don’t know how scary of pleasant the future is, but you can’t stop thinking about it.
Pause.
What do you think may probably turn out to be wrong in the future?
If you already know, then you can work on it as per your potential, and then leave the rest.
You’re not a god.
So maybe, control what may go wrong and prepare yourself for what’s coming.
6. Shunning your problems
When you have problems and you pretend like they don’t exist – no, they don’t disappear.
Your problems stay glued to you unless you shake them off or cut their roots.
Observe your problems, reflect, and come up with a solution. Or carry them on your back and remain restless.
But the first option is better. It guarantees peace and happiness.
For instance, I couldn’t speak in public. I got happy when my speech got canceled. That solved nothing. I still had to learn to step on the stage and open my mouth.
7. Slaving for what you don’t care about
Slogging and doing the work that doesn’t matter to you keeps you unsatisfied.
Your salary checks keep arriving, but days seem meaningless when you hate your job.
You’re free to make choices in life.
Do what you want to, or at least, stop spending your life in the wrong places. It’s not worth it.
You work each day. Your life’s being spent doing it. Above all, there’s a lot of emotional investment and dedication involved.
Make sure what you’re doing is worth it.
8. Pretending to be what you’re not
The world doesn’t let you be real.
It judges you, mocks you, and turns you into someone you’re not – by snatching your self-belief.
Giving up your identity to be like someone else, to look normal, and to fit-in, makes your life blank.
You’d find it hard to exist with yourself. The person you see in the mirror appears to be a loser – be he or she didn’t have the courage to resist a few blows and be real.
Be who you are.
You can be real, without becoming a jerk or bothering others. You’re real when you don’t fake yourself to be liked.
It’s alright to be odd if that simplifies your life. It’s worth the peace.
9. Not evolving
Stability is fatal.
It can make you feel comfortable and easy. But it destroys your chance of betterment. You stop growing.
Soon, you feel it.
Then you demand a change.
You’re supposed to make the most out of life. So stability, no matter how beautiful, starts bothering you.
You feel like everyone else has figured out the answer. They seem better than you. Their lives are changing – yours is as it was a year ago.
Ask yourself.
What’s the change you’re seeking? Figure it out. A new home? Different job? Varied lifestyle? Better habits?
Change is good.
Evolve and seek the ones you need.
10. Not giving your best at work
Being passionate and having a handful of dreams matters.
But when you’re mediocre and aren’t producing any significant results, you start questioning your abilities.
You feel average.
Your work loses its meaning.
Then, uneasiness crawls in your life, because you wish to be better. You want to matter.
You want to craft magic with your hands and be remembered for your work – but that doesn’t happen when you pretend as nothing bothers you.
You need to work.
The only way to counter those feelings is to work harder and give your best shots. Regardless of everything else.
That’s when you find peace.
By being great at what satisfies you.
11. You let your mind thrash your intuition
Let your intuition overpower your mind. You may feel a temporary regret, but you’ll move on.
But the moment you let your mind clobber your heart, life gets hard. Your conscience fades.
You’re on the logical side, but you don’t feel happy. Your serenity languishes.
You need to live like a human to find peace. You need to follow your intuition to be a human.
12. Letting others define you (and stressing over that)
“You suck.”
“You’re awesome.”
None of those opinions matter. Not so much. Because ultimately, it’s about what you feel about yourself.
When you value others’ judgments too much, you end up giving them the control of your happiness and peace. You get trapped in the phase where you need others’ approval to feel good.
Wisdom is in realizing that others’ opinions are relative. They vary. In the end, your thoughts about how you feel about yourself run the day.
Mostly.
13. The external stuff
You have no control over what’s happening.
A car may hit you on your way to the office.
Your neighbor might yell at you in the morning.
Those are the bad things.
You don’t know why they happen, but somehow, you just learn to deal with them. Learning is a good thing. It makes you stronger.
The world you live in affects you. Still, it’s wrong to let it suck the peace out of your life.
Deal with the external stuff.
There’s surely a way to feel better and end the chaos.
Find it.
14. Taking life seriously
I have to admit.
I overthink. My mind traps me. Random thoughts clasp me, making me uneasy.
As a child, I wondered how I’d earn for food. Then I thought who pays the world. Who pays the boss of the boss of the boss?
“People see me as a fool because they don’t like my posts on Facebook. I should quit writing.”
Darn.
Crazy thoughts.
Sometimes, I need to remind myself that’s I’m taking it too far. I shouldn’t. Then I land in reality again.
I feel alright.
Knowing that I’m overthinking ends it. It’s important to know when you’re overthinking.
15. Having a timid self-esteem
“I’m poor”
“I’m incompetent”
“I’m not good looking”
You may say you have a low-esteem because you have certain flaws. Because there are certain traits or qualities you lack in.
No.
Not at all.
The world owes you nothing. You own your life. You pay for your food. You run the day. You’re darn powerful.
You deserve everything.
You deserve to live with your head held high and smile on your face.
Then when did others come in and start making you feel inferior and bad about yourself?
Develop invincible self-esteem.
You’ll have fewer things to worry about in life because you’d be unshakable.
Ask me.
I’ve spent years going through this pain of feeling worthless, judging myself, acting as my own enemy.
The problems germinated within me. I felt low because I was letting myself feel that way.
Don’t make yourself feel bad.
A final word
That was what I felt.
I said it the way I felt.
But if you still haven’t got your answer, then pause and ask yourself “What’s making me restless?”
You’d know what’s concerning you. You’d know what’s going wrong. You’d know what you really need to do.
Till then, leave a comment maybe.
I’m listening.