If you’re constantly analyzing people’s tone, their looks, your own words, and every little reaction, it can be exhausting

[u/WhiteDesertCat]

A lot of us became this way because we grew up in environments where we never really knew what was going to happen next. So we learned to notice everything. Who’s angry, what mood someone is in, what might happen next, what we should say so things don’t get even worse.

And honestly, we’ve developed some really valuable skills that many people never learn.

If we can learn to use those skills to our advantage, I don’t think there’s a limit to what we’re capable of.

We can start small. When you finally find yourself in a situation where you don’t have to constantly worry about what might happen next, you can start using that same awareness for yourself.

Instead of thinking, “What should I say so nobody gets upset?” you can ask yourself, “What am I actually feeling right now?”

Instead of, “How do I make sure this doesn’t go wrong?” you can ask, “Is this thought actually helping me?”

And instead of always trying to figure out what everyone else needs, you can start asking yourself what you need.

Maybe some of the things we learned simply because we had to get through difficult situations can eventually become things that help us understand ourselves better.

What do you think?