[andrew_eit]

I feel as though you missed the point of the article by advocating for people to make meaning and purpose in their lives by doing something that scares them. I think this type of thinking gives way to the mentality that leads to the problems described in the article.

It is not about working hard to make meaning or to 'fix' things that are broken or that you are not happy about but rather to 'let go'. To let go to the fact that you cannot control everything and that you cannot always have it your way. Yes do your best and do what you need to do in life but you must acknowledge at some point that things are generally out of your hands. Once a person realises this, then the pressure of not succeeding or reaching their goals, is lifted and a more realistic perspective on life starts to form. One rooted in reason, realism and the fact that we are all human and that sometimes even if we can do better, it may just not be the time, that other things are in play that keep us from reaching these goals and that it is entirely not the case that the person is not trying hard enough.

[neilgrey]

I feel as though you picked a single statement out of my comment and took it out of context.

The whole concept of running the hamster wheel in the first place is flawed; who are you "falling behind" if not comparing yourself to other people.

The article wants us to "take a fucking step back for a moment, stop beating ourselves up into oblivion, and to let the cogs turn as they will". What I'm saying is don't put yourself in that situation in the first place. Take joy and find meaning in the day-to-day of what you're doing, instead of setting the expectation that you're supposed to be "better than anyone else", at anything, really.

joslin01 said it pretty well in another comment: "It's best to be honest with yourself and come to terms with where you are in life and where you want to be. After that, unless you put action into your belief, you will be sad. Even if you fail, but put action into the belief, you'll be happy and have grown."

So, I implore you, what is something you're actually going to do with this self-help article's new-found insight that you "can't control everything" and need to "just chill"? Will it bring you more happiness knowing that anytime you're running yourself ragged you can "step back" and reassure yourself that you're "just human"?

[marxidad]

It's not so much a self-help article as it is a you-can't-help-it article. It's about recognizing that sometimes there isn't anything you can do and that there is no need to feel pressure. In lieu of that, you just relax and let these moments pass. For some people, that realization can bring happiness.

[neilgrey]

If your work is winding you up to the point of causing severe anxiety, then maybe you should be looking at why you're there in the first place...

I don't know if you've read much self-help, but there's a lot of "you-can't-help-it" contained within. "Letting the moment pass" is a micro-solution to an entire-life size problem.

Speaking as someone who experiences some of the same emotions described in the article, it's far more effective to reduce stress and anxiety by removing non-essential tasks from your list than it is to "just chill". People don't need to "step back every once in a while", they need to learn how to say no.