staying afloat

when life is overstimulating and you have no idea what to do

there are days when i don’t feel like myself—days when i’m not driven by personal desires or passions but by a need to meet the expectations around me. it feels like i'm moving through life on autopilot, just doing what is required, trying not to fall behind. on these days, it’s as if my mind is disconnected from my body. my actions are mechanical, and my thoughts are a mixture of lists, reminders, and deadlines. i go through the motions of the day, meeting the needs of my surroundings but not my own. the person i recognize as "myself" fades, replaced by someone who exists simply to get things done. it’s a subtle shift but one that feels heavy, pulling me further from who i truly am, distancing me from the things that matter.

Reflection — Anastasiia Bakhchevan

this state of being is not uncommon, but it’s troubling. in a world that moves fast and demands much, the pressure to keep up with expectations—whether self-imposed or external—can be suffocating. there’s always more to do, more to achieve, more to prove. falling behind feels like a failure, so i scramble to keep pace, often at the expense of my mental and emotional well-being. it’s as if i am constantly treading water, just managing to keep my head above the surface, but never really moving forward.

i find myself questioning: when did fulfilling expectations replace the fulfillment of my own needs? when did i start prioritizing the world’s checklist over my own joy, peace, and sense of self? the answers don’t come easily, but i recognize that it happens slowly, almost imperceptibly, as daily demands pile up. what begins as an intention to succeed, to excel, or simply to belong, morphs into a cycle of obligation. we become so focused on not disappointing others, on not falling behind, that we forget the importance of not disappointing ourselves.

but what does it mean to "stay afloat" when we aren’t grounded in who we are? there’s a difference between surviving and truly living, yet the line blurs when life feels like a constant race. the idea of falling behind terrifies me because it suggests a loss of control, of direction. however, in my pursuit of keeping up, i sometimes lose sight of the things that give me meaning—the passions, connections, and moments that allow me to feel whole and alive.

perhaps the answer lies not in trying to keep up but in slowing down. there is power in recognizing that staying afloat isn’t about always being on top of things; it’s about staying connected to who i am, even in the busiest moments. it’s about finding the courage to pause and ask myself, “what do i need right now?” without guilt or fear of being left behind. maybe staying afloat is about redefining what it means to be successful—not by others’ standards, but by my own.

some days, it’s okay to just get through. it’s okay to do what is expected, to meet obligations, and to fulfill responsibilities. but on those days, i also remind myself to carve out even the smallest moments to reconnect with the person i am beyond the obligations—the person who craves meaning, joy, and self-fulfillment. because, in the end, staying afloat doesn’t just mean not sinking; it means staying true to myself, even when the world feels like it’s moving too fast.

i wonder how many of us feel the same way but never voice it. the people who seem to have it all together, who never miss a beat, might also be drifting through expectations, just trying to keep up. we live in a culture that glorifies productivity and accomplishment, but there’s little space for reflection. we’re taught to measure our worth by how much we get done, how fast we can move, and how seamlessly we can balance it all. but at what cost? when we equate self-worth with constant productivity, it becomes easy to lose sight of who we are at our core.

we might look successful on the outside, yet inside we’re depleted, disconnected from the things that truly make us feel alive. sometimes i wonder if this constant drive to be more, do more, is the real issue. maybe it’s not about falling behind or keeping up, but about why we feel the need to chase something in the first place. are we trying to prove something to others, or are we trying to prove something to ourselves? and if we don’t stop to question these motivations, do we ever really find peace?

source

there’s an inherent contradiction in the way we approach life. we strive for success, for recognition, for validation, yet those things rarely bring the contentment we hope they will. instead, they often leave us craving more—more success, more approval, more achievements to check off. it’s a cycle that never ends, and in the process, we risk losing touch with the parts of ourselves that don’t need external validation to feel whole. it’s those parts that are the most important to nurture, yet they’re often the first to be neglected when life gets overwhelming.

when i take the time to reflect, i realize that staying afloat is less about external pressures and more about internal balance. it’s about knowing when to push forward and when to step back. it’s about recognizing that life isn’t a race, and that the moments of pause, the moments of stillness, are just as valuable—if not more so—than the moments of action. when we allow ourselves to slow down, we create space to listen to our own needs, to reconnect with the things that bring us joy, peace, and fulfillment.

and maybe that’s the key. maybe staying afloat isn’t about doing more or being more; maybe it’s about being present in the moment, in our own lives, in our own bodies. it’s about finding the courage to let go of the expectations that don’t serve us and to embrace the things that do. it’s about trusting that we are enough, even when we’re not meeting the world’s demands. because in the end, the person who matters most to not disappoint is ourselves.

in those fleeting moments of clarity, when i allow myself to step back and breathe, i remember that i am more than the sum of my duties. i am not just here to fulfill expectations—I am here to live. and that realization is what keeps me going. it’s what gives me the strength to continue, not because i have to, but because i choose to—because i choose to live a life that is true to who i am, not just one that meets the standards of others.

and on the days when i don’t feel like myself, when the weight of expectations feels too heavy to bear, i remind myself that it’s okay to feel this way. it’s okay to not have it all figured out. it’s okay to just be. because being is enough. and that is what staying afloat really means.

until my next post, feel free to check out my previous posts :)