Does anyone actually enjoy their daily life, or are we all just getting through it?
I’m a 35-year-old single woman, and lately I’ve been wondering… is this just what life is supposed to feel like?
I’m not struggling financially in the sense that I can afford food, rent, and a decent life. My job isn’t terrible. I don’t love it, and it does create some stress, but it’s relatively easy, stable, and objectively probably considered a “good” job.
I live in a big city, so life is convenient. Anything is accessible. Restaurants, shopping, gyms, events, whatever. But rent is expensive, my apartment is small, the natural light isn’t great, and sometimes I just wonder… what am I actually paying for?
As I’ve gotten older, my friendships have naturally become fewer. I do enjoy being alone, and I’m comfortable with solitude, but sometimes I think: am I just paying a huge amount of money to live alone in a stressful city for no real reason?
Even the city lifestyle that used to feel exciting now just feels like… consumption. Spending money to distract myself. Cafes, shopping, eating out, repeating.
And sometimes I get this sudden feeling of emptiness, like:
What am I doing? What is all this for? Is this really how I want to spend my life?
The frustrating part is I don’t even know what I should change.
What I do know is that I want a life where my nervous system feels calm. Lately I’ve started feeling like just existing in a big city quietly drains me in ways I don’t even notice until I leave.
Does anyone else feel this way?
If you’ve gone through something similar, what changed for you? Did you move? Change jobs? Build community? Change your mindset?
I’d genuinely love to know how other people are actually living.