gap year- feeling terrible

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I’m currently on my gap year. I have an occasional job that I work full time every few months, for a month in an office setting. I’m going travelling for a month in June. I’m also working on my business.

However, I feel as if I am wasting my life. I see my friends at uni working hard and having a filled day. Most days I am in my room on my phone all day, sleep, then repeat. I am so bored. I feel the worst I’ve ever felt as I feel as if I’m wasting my life. I’m simply waiting to travel and waiting to work my boring job sometimes. My parents keep on complaining to me on how I’m wasting my life also.

I don’t know how to feel better. How do I make my days feel fulfilling and not like I’m wasting my life as a healthyish 🧿 18 year old?

I don't think you're wasting your life away - that's quite harsh on yourself and from your parents.

You're working towards your goal of travelling, where you'll soon be experiencing and making fantastic memories- and who knows where this could lead you? And you're working on your business - again, who knows where that will take you?

It's also hard not to compare yourself to what you see on social media, but trust me, it's just the highlights. Your friends at Uni could be hating their degree, feeling homesick or even envious that you'll be traveling. Remember that what you see isn't always the truth.

Just take each day by day, perhaps, try something new and switch up your routine.

I’m currently on my gap year. I have an occasional job that I work full time every few months, for a month in an office setting. I’m going travelling for a month in June. I’m also working on my business.

However, I feel as if I am wasting my life. I see my friends at uni working hard and having a filled day. Most days I am in my room on my phone all day, sleep, then repeat. I am so bored. I feel the worst I’ve ever felt as I feel as if I’m wasting my life. I’m simply waiting to travel and waiting to work my boring job sometimes. My parents keep on complaining to me on how I’m wasting my life also.

I don’t know how to feel better. How do I make my days feel fulfilling and not like I’m wasting my life as a healthyish 🧿 18 year old?

Similar for me. Been doing bits and pieces like driving lessons, swimming and working 3-4 hours a week but my day still pretty empty a lot of the time. Everyone says go traveling but not heard many good ideas apart from that.

I don't think you're wasting your life away - that's quite harsh on yourself and from your parents.

You're working towards your goal of travelling, where you'll soon be experiencing and making fantastic memories- and who knows where this could lead you? And you're working on your business - again, who knows where that will take you?

It's also hard not to compare yourself to what you see on social media, but trust me, it's just the highlights. Your friends at Uni could be hating their degree, feeling homesick or even envious that you'll be traveling. Remember that what you see isn't always the truth.

Just take each day by day, perhaps, try something new and switch up your routine.

I’m currently on my gap year. I have an occasional job that I work full time every few months, for a month in an office setting. I’m going travelling for a month in June. I’m also working on my business.

However, I feel as if I am wasting my life. I see my friends at uni working hard and having a filled day. Most days I am in my room on my phone all day, sleep, then repeat. I am so bored. I feel the worst I’ve ever felt as I feel as if I’m wasting my life. I’m simply waiting to travel and waiting to work my boring job sometimes. My parents keep on complaining to me on how I’m wasting my life also.

I don’t know how to feel better. How do I make my days feel fulfilling and not like I’m wasting my life as a healthyish 🧿 18 year old?

I'm sorry you also feel like this ☹️ it's hard because I'm 18 and I feel as if I should be doing more as I can't redo this time again being this young. However, since posting I have thought a lot about how monotonous life is in general, and how I'm lucky to have this time relaxing. I have being learning German and also practicing yoga. I hope to become a yoga teacher alongside my more professional job in the future. I realise now that my gap year has been slow and boring, but has also gave me the opportunity to learn about what I would like for my future, relax and do things with the time I have that I wouldn't be able to do if I had uni or a job full-time. It still is super stressful for me, but I think that it is a blessing in a disguise. I still don't regret taking a gap year.

So, keep doing the driving lessons and swimming. I'm sure you will pass your test and become even better at swimming. A gap year is about finding yourself and learning/doing things that make you happy. You have to try and change the way you look at things. My days are exactly the same as 4 weeks ago, but I'm trying to see them differently. If your gap year is really that bad, it will soon be over, but will have also taught you a lot about yourself. I hope it becomes better for you, and remember that you are not alone in feeling that way as I'm in exactly the same position lol

I’m currently on my gap year. I have an occasional job that I work full time every few months, for a month in an office setting. I’m going travelling for a month in June. I’m also working on my business.

However, I feel as if I am wasting my life. I see my friends at uni working hard and having a filled day. Most days I am in my room on my phone all day, sleep, then repeat. I am so bored. I feel the worst I’ve ever felt as I feel as if I’m wasting my life. I’m simply waiting to travel and waiting to work my boring job sometimes. My parents keep on complaining to me on how I’m wasting my life also.

I don’t know how to feel better. How do I make my days feel fulfilling and not like I’m wasting my life as a healthyish 🧿 18 year old?

Yes nice to hear that thanks. Similar to u don't regret taking a gap year because I don't think I was fully ready anyway and got into a uni I wanted to this time so that's good. Interesting, that's true tbh from uni, life becomes quite monotonous after so nows a good time to see what other useful skills I can learn and enjoy, e.g. piano etc. I'm trying to learn my native languages better too. Thanks for the advice anyway! Good to know other people are in a similar position to me. Hope the rest of your gap year ends up going well too!!!

Hi!

I feel the same. I've got a decent job but it's sopping me from doing the things I really enjoy and stopping me from seeing my friends. I deffo relate with seeing friends at uni or travelling. I'd love to travel but can't afford to. I am trying to fill my time with things like yoga and I'm training for a half marathon but I feel like I'm not using my brain at all lol! Where would you like to travel and have you found any ways of doing it?

I’m currently on my gap year. I have an occasional job that I work full time every few months, for a month in an office setting. I’m going travelling for a month in June. I’m also working on my business.

However, I feel as if I am wasting my life. I see my friends at uni working hard and having a filled day. Most days I am in my room on my phone all day, sleep, then repeat. I am so bored. I feel the worst I’ve ever felt as I feel as if I’m wasting my life. I’m simply waiting to travel and waiting to work my boring job sometimes. My parents keep on complaining to me on how I’m wasting my life also.

I don’t know how to feel better. How do I make my days feel fulfilling and not like I’m wasting my life as a healthyish 🧿 18 year old?