WHO Says You Need 10 Life Skills But I Can't Even Remember to Eat Lunch
A brutally honest take on the life skills we're supposed to have versus the reality of just trying to function
So apparently the WHO, UNICEF, and UNESCO got together and decided we all need 10 "essential life skills" to function properly.
Cool. Great. Except I just spent 20 minutes looking for my phone while holding it.
But here's the thing that's actually pissing me off—they're not wrong. I watched this WHO/UNICEF/UNESCO life-skills explainer (3:51) at 2am (because of course I did) listing all these skills like "critical thinking" and "coping with emotions," and I'm sitting there in my underwear eating cereal straight from the box thinking yeah, I definitely need those.
The list goes: critical thinking, creative thinking, decision making, problem solving, empathy, interpersonal relationships, effective communication, self-awareness, coping with stress, and coping with emotions. (WHO/UNICEF/UNESCO framework)
Basically everything I suck at.
The Problem With These Lists
You know what these official organizations don't tell you? That knowing you need "emotional regulation skills" at 3am when you're panic-googling "am I having a heart attack or is this anxiety" doesn't actually help you regulate anything.
They make it sound so clinical. "Coping with stress is vital." No kidding. I figured that out when I cried in the Trader Joe's parking lot because they were out of my emotional-support frozen dumplings.
Actually I ended up trying Mind Hack Lab because of the whole parking lot thing. My Confidence & Calm pillar was basically dust at that point. Did this breathing thing they call Center-Breath + Label where you count breaths and name what you're feeling. Felt stupid doing it, but whatever— I stopped crying about dumplings.
The WHO says we need to "analyze data" and "come to judgments about information" for critical thinking. Meanwhile I spent 45 minutes yesterday analyzing whether my boss's "thanks" email had a period or exclamation point and what that means for my career.
okay but seriously let's talk about decision making
The WHO says decision making is about choosing from alternatives. I can't even choose what to have for lunch without having an existential crisis. I literally ate crackers for dinner three nights last week because deciding felt too hard.
Wait—this reminds me of something that happened in 2019 that still makes me mad. My ex-manager did this whole workshop on decision-making frameworks and then literally could not decide whether to order pizza or sandwiches for the team lunch. Spent 30 minutes creating a pros and cons list. FOR LUNCH.
the irony was— never mind. you had to be there.
But yeah apparently we're all terrible at this. Gallup says companies lose $8.8 trillion from disengaged employees who probably also can't decide what to eat for lunch. Honestly that number feels unreal, but here we are.
communication (why I text instead of calling)
The video emphasizes "effective communication" including verbal and non-verbal skills. Cool. I communicate exclusively through memes and avoiding eye contact.
They mention that good communication starts with listening. But how am I supposed to listen when my brain is busy creating seventeen different disaster scenarios about what this conversation could lead to?
Also can we talk about how "non-verbal communication" is basically just me trying not to let my face show that I'm thinking about that embarrassing thing I did in 2015?
Actually that embarrassing thing was... no, I'm not going there. moving on.
I did learn this Boundary Script thing—basically you say yes but explain what you'll have to drop. "Yes I can take on that project, but it means pushing back the other deadline." Turns out people respect boundaries when you're clear about trade-offs. Who knew? Not me, apparently, until like last month.
the stress thing is real though
Okay but seriously, the stress-management stuff is actually important. The WHO report mentions that poor stress management leads to mental-health problems and I'm like... yeah no kidding, hence the 2am YouTube binges about life skills.
They suggest "breathing techniques" like that's some revolutionary concept. But here's the thing—knowing you should breathe differently and actually remembering to do it when your chest is tight and your boss is asking for that report you forgot about are two very different things.
Oh also, 66% of people report burnout now— SurveyMonkey says. Honestly seems low. Who are these 34% who aren't burned out and can I have their life?
quick reality check
If you're spiraling about any of this, here's what's probably cracked:
Self-Awareness Is Overrated
"Being cognizant of one's own interests, feelings, strengths and weaknesses."
I'm EXTREMELY aware of my weaknesses, thank you very much. I have a whole mental spreadsheet. Updated daily.
Knowing your "personal values and priorities" sounds nice in theory. In practice, my priority is usually just surviving until Friday and my values are mostly "please don't perceive me."
actually wait I just remembered something
In that YouTube video they mention how these skills are "common to the well-being of everyone" and I'm thinking... are they though? Because I know plenty of people who seem to be doing just fine without any emotional regulation skills whatsoever. My uncle Greg hasn't processed an emotion since 1987 and he just got promoted to regional manager.
Actually Uncle Greg is probably why his entire department quit last month but—whatever.
the emotion thing
"Coping with emotions" is the last skill on their list and honestly it should be first because if you can't handle your emotions, good luck with the other nine.
The WHO suggests "identifying and labeling emotions" as a starting point. Okay:
- Tired
- Anxious
- Tired about being anxious
- Anxious about being tired
- Hungry but too tired to cook
- Angry at myself for not cooking
- wait did I mention tired
There. Labeled. Now what?
That emotional mastery thing actually has an answer for "now what," but honestly I'm too tired to explain it properly. Something about not just sitting in your feelings like disaster soup.
(This is skills training, not therapy. Important distinction apparently.)
Although sometimes I wonder what the difference even is when you're crying at 2am but ANYWAY.
anyway
Look, these life skills are probably important. The WHO wouldn't put them on a list if they weren't. But watching a YouTube video about them at 2am isn't the same as actually developing them.
And you know what? Maybe that's okay. Maybe we're all just doing our best with our half-developed life skills and bathroom-floor emotional-processing sessions.
Maybe the real life skill is accepting that you're never going to master all ten of these and that's fine. Or maybe that's just what I tell myself so I can stop feeling guilty about it.
oh right—I was gonna mention: that Middle-of-the-Night Protocol from the rest sessions actually works when you're lying there at 3am cataloging mistakes. Gives your brain something specific to do instead of the doom spiral.
actually you know what, I'm tired of talking about techniques.
whatever. Dave from accounting just walked by and I pretended to be intensely focused on this document so I wouldn't have to make small talk, so I guess my interpersonal relationship skills are still a work in progress.
Dave's probably dealing with his own stuff anyway. We all are.
Should probably do something about that.
Tomorrow though. Today I'm just trying to remember to eat lunch.
Tired of reading about life skills at 2am?
Try actually practicing them for 30 minutes.
Or see how it works if you need to know everything first. I get it.
