I want to normalize hard feelings. There are so many challenging emotions we go through in a day. Lately, all we see on social media is talk about practices to help us manage these emotions. The focus is constantly on "fixing." But here’s the truth: we will find things confusing, challenging, and heartbreaking at different points in our lives. This is what it means to be human.
Here are five things I struggle with daily:
Feeling Lost
Life isn’t meant to be a clean, mistake-free, step-by-step playbook. Somewhere, we all know this, yet our brains crave control and predictability. But life isn’t predictable—it never has been. Ask anyone who has faced an unexpected health diagnosis, job loss, death, or natural disaster. With so much uncertainty, it’s natural to feel lost. Normalize the feeling of not having your shit together. When that self-criticism kicks in, remind yourself: no one has it all figured out. We aren’t supposed to live perfectly curated lives—we’re meant to live and experience. That means taking risks, making mistakes, winning, losing—the whole gamut.

Struggling to Balance Healthy Eating with Cravings
This is a big one for me. I love eating out and exploring new cuisines. I love elevating home-cooked meals. Over the years, I’ve learned that less is more when it comes to truly healthy eating—less store-bought sauces, less processed food. And yet, despite my love for veggies, I still struggle to strike a balance. The desire to indulge in a warm, gooey cookie or a big bowl of ice cream is real. Have taste buds, will crave. That’s normal. Instead of penalizing ourselves for these cravings, we can experiment with ways to strike a balance—fueling our bodies with 80% nourishment and 20% pleasure.
The Pull of Consumerism and Excess
I love fashion, and I am exactly the kind of customer fast fashion markets to. But I also care deeply about sustainability, and when I researched where most clothes are made, it was sobering. The reality of factory conditions and child labor hit me hard. The idea that a mother is working 12-hour shifts in a windowless factory for less than minimum wage so I can buy a trendy jacket? A tough pill to swallow. So I committed to thrifting, and I’ve been pretty successful at it. But I’d be lying if I said I don’t still feel the pull of that cute cropped bomber or those perfect flare pants. It’s a constant struggle to stay minimal in a world of excess. And that struggle? Completely normal. Sometimes we stay on course, sometimes we don’t.
Comparing Ourselves to Others
It’s so easy to look at someone else’s life and feel like we’re falling behind. Social media makes this even worse—highlight reels of seemingly perfect relationships, careers, and lifestyles flood our feeds, making us question if we’re doing enough. I constantly struggle with this feeling, especially after a doom scroll session. Inevitably after a comparison downhill, I feel worse about myself, have less energy or enthusiasm for the the day and risk losing my authenticity. I know this - yet sometimes (less and less as time goes on) I compare myself and feel meh. That's normal. We live in a unique age with ridiculous amount of personal information slapped on our face. The key is to recognize, self-soothe and find our way back to appreciating our current life.

Not Judging Others
We all have an ideal version of a relationship in our minds—whether it’s with a friend, a partner, a parent, an in-law. We want an easeful life where everyone gets along perfectly. But that’s just not reality. People are unique, which means they carry different values, perspectives, and experiences. If you’ve worked with a therapist or done any spiritual reading, you probably agree that at our core, we are all deserving of love. And yet, I still catch myself judging others sometimes—their choices, their actions, their way of living. This is normal. It doesn't make us bad, or less evolved. Judgment is just an expression of our inner critic, looking outward. We need that inner critic to keep us on track, but sometimes it goes haywire. The practice is in recognizing it and letting it go, over and over again.
Embracing the Messiness
We don’t need to "fix" every difficult feeling. We don’t need to curate a flawless life. The human experience is messy, uncertain, and at times, downright frustrating. And that’s okay. Because within that mess, there’s also growth, learning, and connection. Let’s normalize it all. Commit to continue working on these triggers, but with a compassionate lens.
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