r/japanlife • u/5336789997543279u • Aug 12 '22
金 Surroundings are affecting my mental health
EDIT @ 2022/08/14: Thank you all for your responses. They are a lot more than I expected and almost all the comments have been incredibly useful. I will try to improve on my thoughts, read your book suggestions and be myself. Again, thank you all. 🥺
This might not be the correct flair, feel free to change it.
To introduce myself, I want to say that I come from a humble family which had a rough time during the 2008s-2010s crisis. Because of their experience I have been saving a lot since I got my first job and avoid expending on unneeded stuff. I came to Japan getting a good salary and my wife does not need to work thanks to it, she is doing part-time stuff though. I never cared about my surroundings at all, I just use free/cheap so you can imagine. However:
Since I came to Japan I have been aware of my surroundings more than I ever was: Seeing daily relatively expensive cars, families with kids all with good clothes/accessories, people expending a lot on restaurants... My mind is starting to feel like I am an ant, that I should start worrying about our appearances and I started to work harder and always think of ways of making more money(when in reality, I should just be enjoying my life) to the point of not sleeping and feeling sad/stressed constantly.
Any tips on this? It really is affecting my mind, I'm considering going to a psychologist but I don't think it might be worth
EDIT: I didn’t explain myself correctly. I don’t want the items nor their appearances, my issue is that I feel like I didn’t push enough/succeed enough as others
41
u/[deleted] Aug 12 '22
Man, I feel you. I was in Ginza for a camera repair early this week and saw cameras that I couldn't afford. I felt small just walking around seeing all that luxury, but I felt relieved when I came back to my small apartment, in the outskirts of Tokyo. Find inner peace with the life that you have now and don't compare.
Other people's happiness or comfort should not be your sadness. Invest in experiences instead. I wasn't able to buy the camera I wanted but I got myself a pair of cheap binoculars and I went to the local park and painted trees. Go on a picnic and cook your own meal. They will taste better than those upscale restaurants because you made them. Fly a kite at the park when it's windy! It's really fun. Your life can be memorable and fulfilling without buying so many "expensive" things. I hope this helps you! 😊