© Shutterstock

To achieve success young -

We aren’t equipped to deal with the unhealthy amount of comparison available right at our fingertips, so there will always be someone younger with more success than you. Everyone is on their own path, according to the timing that is right for them.

© Shutterstock

To achieve success young -

Lists like "30 under 30" also create this false idea in our minds that it matters at what age you are considered successful, and instill a fear of getting older. A success at 50 is no less worthy than one at 30.

© Shutterstock

To know what you want to "be" and stick to it -

We start pressuring people from a very young age to decide what they want to be, which can lead to rushed decisions and the pressure to stick to something that no longer makes one happy. Normalize changing your career, even in your forties, fifties, and beyond!

© Shutterstock

To be in a relationship -

We need to stop looking at the single life as a precursor to a relationship, and instead honor it as its own form of fulfilment. Plus, no proper relationship is ever borne out of a panicked desire to have a partner.

© Shutterstock

To climb the ladder -

Sometimes people will be in job positions they enjoy, but there is this unwritten pressure to constantly be trying to land something better and make more money. It’s okay to be satisfied where you are if you’re comfortable!

© Shutterstock

To have kids -

Fortunately, more and more we’re seeing people reject the idea that kids are essential to a full life, and even statistics proving how happy childless people are. We’re also rife with examples of people who show us that we can wait past our twenties, thirties, and even forties to have children.

© Shutterstock

To be liked -

You probably know at least one person whom you dislike for a reason you perhaps can’t even pinpoint despite the fact that they’ve never done anything wrong to you. Well, everyone has that, and occasionally that person will be you. Just as we don’t need to like everyone, we don’t need to be liked by everyone either.

© Shutterstock

To be productive -

Being busy all the time or feeling guilty about not being busy is bad for your mental health and your work ethic. We need to expand our idea of productivity to include restful periods, which actually allow us to work at our best.

© Shutterstock

To be good at something right away -

First of all, it’s a ridiculously unattainable pressure. Secondly, it robs you of the time when you have full license to use the excuse that you’re still starting out!

© Shutterstock

To have a stable job -

The job market is not what it used to be, and unemployment is an increasing issue in various parts of the world. If you’re making ends meet, that’s more than enough cause to celebrate.

© Shutterstock

To know everything -

This pressure tends to breed little white lies about having read or watched something you didn’t, but it also closes the wondrous space for learning and growth with others. No one knows everything, and even the things we think we know are spaces we should keep open for new perspectives.

© Shutterstock

To monetize your hobbies -

Side hustle culture is pervasive and toxic. Contrary to popular belief, you can enjoy things and even be really good at them without trying to make money off of them (think: painting, making music, writing, collecting things, etc.).

© Shutterstock

To own property -

While it may have been a smart and accessible investment some decades ago, owning property is increasingly out of reach for many people today. The pressure to buy property is handed down, but sometimes it might not actually be the smartest thing for you specifically. Plus, people today are broadening their imaginations about the kinds of lives that can be lived without the burden of a mortgage and a fixed location.

© Shutterstock

To always have a good time -

We all have at least one experience of being at an occasion—a concert, a party, a night out, etc.—where we should logically be enjoying ourselves, but it’s just falling flat. This unnecessary pressure to enjoy ourselves only adds frustration to the pile instead of being able to simply accept it and move on.

© Shutterstock

To get married -

This pressure comes at all angles, from family and friends to marketing and advertisements. Both single people and those in happy relationships are always being forced to think about the “next step.” But have you seen the divorce statistics of today? Marriage is no longer an indicator of a solid relationship.

© Shutterstock

To look young -

Fillers and implants, expensive treatments and wrinkle creams, and so much more have dominated the beauty industry and emptied people’s wallets. But aging is a natural and beautiful process that happens to every single one of us, so why waste time and energy trying to fight it?

© Shutterstock

To make the right decisions -

Choices shouldn’t feel paralyzing but rather exciting—it’s choices that make up the varying experiences of our lives. Instead, however, choices are burdened with the pressures of making the right decision, and we’ve come to dread them. Consider that making the wrong decision can also be the thing that leads you to the right place in the end!

© Shutterstock

To be thin -

Beauty standards, regarding the body especially, change so much—for example, not too long ago being plump was a sign of royalty—so we should all stop wasting time trying to fit in the fleeting trends. Thinness no longer equals beauty.

© Shutterstock

To always be upgrading -

Whether it’s with the newest generation of phones, a new kind of fashion apparel, a bigger house, a faster car, etc., the pressure to always be upgrading comes in a constant stream from companies and brands. But buy slower, use longer, and really decipher between a want and a need (and whose wants and needs those are) before you fall prey to the rat race.

© Shutterstock

To travel the world -

Travel seems like the supreme good these days, and while it looks very enviable on our social media feeds, it actually doesn’t mean someone is naturally having a better life. Additionally, consider that one trip a year to experience authentic culture somewhere else beats three trips a year to resorts.

© Shutterstock

To fit in -

Maybe you’re 60 years old, single, and about to start a fashion blog, or you’re in your thirties and you’re living in a van and traveling the country while remotely freelancing—just because you’re not following the well-trodden path doesn’t mean your life isn’t interesting or valid or successful. The most successful people will be the first to tell you to stop trying to fit in!

© Shutterstock

To have a plan -

Somehow we can all agree that life hardly ever goes to plan, and yet we still put pressure on ourselves and each other to map things out. But outside of job interviews, when people ask about your plans, it’s likely they’re just trying to make small talk, so don't sweat it!

© Shutterstock

To say the right things -

We all need to have a little more empathy for anyone who says the wrong thing. Words come out scarily easily, and especially in the digital age they can leave a permanent footprint. Learning from our mistakes is essential, and acknowledging that we all have said the wrong thing once or twice is just human.

© Shutterstock

To update social media -

Many people place way too much importance on their appearance in the digital realm, and they’re sometimes trying to keep up on multiple platforms at once like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, with an unhealthy focus on likes and followers. It’s more likely that no one will even notice if you take a break.

© Shutterstock

To please your parents/family -

Family is a huge source of pressure, especially since parents naturally feel some kind of ownership over the human being they raised, but it’s important to shed the pressures and expectations of family if they don’t align with what you actually want.

© Shutterstock

To get into stocks/crypto -

While this can be a very smart and lucrative route for many people—and an extremely popular one these days—there’s no shame in making your money the traditional way.

© Shutterstock

To be perfect -

Even if you’re an expert or a professional at something, you’re bound to make mistakes. It’s legitimately impossible to be perfect. Remember to extend the empathy you have for other peoples’ mistakes to your own.

© Shutterstock

To be social -

There’s the pressure to go out with friends, the pressure to converse with colleagues, to be networking constantly, and even to attend family events. But choosing to prioritize yourself and recharge, or just acknowledging that you’re not in the mood, is not evil or reproachful.

© Shutterstock

To stay up to date with pop culture -

You haven’t seen that show? You haven’t heard that song? What do you mean you never watched that movie? Don’t take it too seriously—there will always be another popular thing “everyone” is talking about. Prioritizing your needs and tasks is more important than seeming cool.

See also: Things we should stop feeling embarrassed about

© Shutterstock