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Mark* was a pretty good student growing up.
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He worked hard in school but wasnt exactly striving to be valedictorian.
He wanted to be a normal teen, not someone who constantly bent over backward for schoolwork.
This didnt exactly sit well with his mother.
And there was always a threat of being sent to military school.
As a result, he felt like he was never good enoughan emotion thats lingered to this day.
Why the hell do they do this?
The truth: It probably has very little to do with their children (i.e., you).
Theyre really trying to ease their own anxieties.
Why are some moms so damn tough on their kids?
Yep, a controlling mom can turn you into a stress ball.
She restricted calories, felt guilty when she ate, and tried every diet out there.
You may then struggle to pursue what you, deep down, want to.
He pivoted toward a career in advertising instead because it was stable and offered a good salary.
How to cope with an overbearing mom.
Minaa says one solid way to do this is throughaudio journaling.
Then play the recordings back and pay attention to what youre saying, Minaa advises.
Do your thoughts make sense?
Have you made the best decisions foryourself?
How has your mom influenced your behavior over the years?
As you write this out, ask yourself: Is this my goal or my mothers goal?
Ideally, you want it to reflectyourwants and needsnot your moms.
After that, its boundary-setting time.
No one is going to read this article and be healed overnight, Bond adds.
You may never be able to totally silence her voice in your head (wouldnt that be nice!
), but you could learn to live with itand regain some much-deserved peace of mind.
*Some names have been changed or abbreviated for privacy reasons.
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