How Does Continuously Wanting More Affect Your Self Image

I have several issues with my self image. I see myself in a very negative light a lot of the time and a lot of the time I think that I set myself up to create opportunities to prove that I am a bad person that doesn’t deserve good things. 

One way I do this is my unreachable expectations I hold for myself. I will hold myself up to standards that inadvertently always lead to a burnout or is just impossible in itself. I rarely acknowledge the good things I”m doing, or the good things I do, or goals that I reach. My brain really says ok great, next. 

An example I can give, is this week I picked up some overtime which means I will be working 5 12 hour shifts in a row which is already a little bit mean of myself. But I can already hear my brain saying okay well we need to go to the gym 5 times this week too, get our journaling in, meditate, study, make sure you’re eating good, get good sleep..etc which is really just not possible this week. Because I only have so much capacity as a person, one area of my life the needs are going up so there are going to be some things I come down on that week that is realistic. 

But my point being, my brain always wants more and it is never satisfied with the things that I do. And not really in a materialistic kind of wanting more, but in a doing way. Like I put myself through nursing school and get a really good job right out of school, okay yay something to be proud of. My brain is immediately thinking okay when are we going to grad school, when are we moving, and why don’t you know more than you already know??? 

I think this idea of more more more affects your self image because it tells you nothing you every do is good enough. I’m not quite sure how to be satisfied with the things that I do. I think a lot of that comes from self talk and being realistic, and telling your thoughts that they’re wrong. 

Having realistic expectations and celebrating what you do and making yourself take a second to really appreciate something that you do is a really big self perspective change. I think succumbing to those thoughts of okay you have to do more and being compliant and doing more is just reiterating that self image perspective that what you’re doing isn’t enough and that is not being kind and supportive to yourself. Anything good that you do won’t matter until I teach myself to appreciate what I put my time into, and take time to appreciate it. I think there’s so much perspective to be gained in rest and not jumping into the very next thing. I think you can really take a moment to take in your lessons you just learned from what you accomplished, I think in rest you can feel proud of yourself, i think in rest you can download some really great new ideas, and I think in rest you can just be. And it’s really hard to just be when you’re always jumping to the next thing. 

Overall, the more more more perspective robs you of appreciation and I do believe if you do this to yourself you will do it in the world around you too and have a really hard time being satisfied. Take a beat in between new projects, take time to appreciate what you’ve done, and let rest be your guide to the next thing not jumping to the next thing. Show yourself kindness and don’t be the one thing in the world to put yourself in overdrive, if something is worn out it will only run down and the same goes for you.