Sometimes it can be helpful to re-think your own expectations. This can help you decide if your goals are achievable. It can help to ask yourself, “What would I suggest to a friend in this situation?”
Sometimes a person who is setting unreasonable expectations might be unaware that they are putting unfair pressure on you. When you talk to them, it might be helpful to say something like “When you treat me like this, then I feel…”
If you’re feeling pressured, talk to someone outside the situation, like a friend, parent or teacher. They are in a good position to help you identify expectations and help you work out strategies to deal with them.
Get up 15 minutes earlier than you have to. You’ll have less stress, less rushing, and a more peaceful pace to start your day. If you’re looking after a family member, get them up 10 or 15 minutes earlier too – enough to reduce the racing around.
When you’re at your busiest, a short break can rejuvenate your mind and increase your productivity. These breaks will help you regain your sanity and reflect on your recent actions so you can be sure they’re in line with your goals.
Start being attentive to your stress level and take short breaks. Slow down. Breathe. Give yourself permission to pause, regroup and move forward with clarity and purpose.
Too much pressure from others’ expectations can affect you psychologically (feeling helpless, depressed or low), socially (relationship problems like fighting or poor communication, or difficulty concentrating at school or work) and physically (feeling tired or ill).
Others place expectations on you: they may want the best for you, and want you to have what they couldn’t. Some may try to place their principles on you, where their values are not ones that you would choose for yourself, and expect you to live up to them as they had to.
Everyone has goals and expectations for themselves. Some feel that meeting high expectations is the only way to gain the approval of others, or that achievement is the only way to be happy. Some set high expectations for themselves to push them to strive for and achieve bigger and better things.
“Expectations” come from many different places: yourself, your family, peers, school, teammates, work and even society can expect you to behave, dress, date and work in certain ways.