Hey!
The dictionary definition of “carefree” is “free of worries and responsibilities”. So if you have responsibilities and worries are you supposed to just drop them? That’s a little extreme, right? I think that it’s absolutely okay to have responsibilities and worries. Everyone on Earth has worries and responsibilities unless they’re children or perhaps happily retired elderly folks. It’s the extent to which you think about them that is the problem you may want to address. Excessive worries can lead to emotional trouble and anxiety. Excessive responsibilities can lead to stress and anxiety. Worrying about worrying and worrying about responsibilities also cause emotional trouble, stress, and anxiety. If you want to be less anxious or stressed out, then it’s very important to find ways of expressing these feelings. Try exercising and sleeping right. It really helps. Try writing your thoughts down if you have constant thoughts. Meditate or find your own personal form of meditation like a hobby or something. Remaining in the present like Matt said can be extremely helpful even if you start by only being in the present for 5 seconds a day. Also, Matt touched on something important with his zen joke: humor helps us get through rough times and stress because it makes light of stressful situations. Watch comedy or hang out with friends who you laugh together with. You might find your stress eased even a little just by cracking a smile.
You mentioned that you were putting a lot of pressure on yourself in your life, which led you to attempt to be “carefree” but I think that attempting to be completely carefree is still putting pressure on yourself. Even millionaires have certain responsibilities or worries that may come up from time to time (in fact, having a lot of money may not always be less stressful). Involve yourself in healthy activities, even if it’s just exercising at home, writing down thoughts, or reading books. It seems you already understand what’s stressing you out so you’re already taking a step in the right direction! Good luck! It only gets better from here.