Imagine a duck gliding peacefully across a pond. From our perspective, the duck has everything under control and nothing can ruin its picture-perfect activity. But below the surface, the duck is frantically paddling with all its strength, trying to stay afloat. And only the duck knows what’s really going on right now. Sounds pretty much like you? Well, ‘duck syndrome’ is a thing!
‘Duck syndrome’ is a situation where your life appears to be perfect on the outside but, inside, you’re actually hiding a boiling pot of anxiety, stress and exhaustion. It’s quite common among students or people just starting out in their careers and are trying to ‘fake it until they make it’, creating an enormous gap between how people assess them and their own perceptions of their talents.
And though the syndrome was discovered some time ago, the number of people suffering from it really escalated about a decade ago, when Instagram was invented. Yes, apparently, looking at other’s seemingly perfect lives, we feel even worse about our own imperfections and problems. People with duck syndrome tend to think that everyone else is coping with identical life situations better than they are.
There are no definite symptoms for duck syndrome. Some people admit they feel tense and angry all the time, others might suffer from headaches and insomnia or find it difficult to concentrate. ‘Stress eating’ is also not uncommon. Experiencing these nasty symptoms for a while might also lead to a complete lack of interest in things that used to spark joy and happiness.
Think you might be experiencing duck syndrome? Well, luckily, it can be treated. First of all, for goodness sake stop paddling so hard! Leave it to the ducks and live your life at a pace that suits you. Career opportunities, bringing up gorgeous little geniuses, experimenting in the kitchen while working out three times per week – seriously, the life of a modern woman is a hamster wheel. Take a break, breath in, breath out, focus on your priorities and TALK to people. After all, the main reason behind the dissonance you’re experiencing is your inability to show what you really feel. Discuss that awkward conversation you had with your boss with your friends, share your fears with your family and gently let your lazy older brother know you actually want that extra room in your house as your walk-in closet.