7 Things You Should Stop Stressing About Right Now

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Some days, the struggle is just all too real. From the moment you wake up to the time you finally decide to just call it a night and start over tomorrow, you feel like a bottled-up mess of stress and can’t seem to let anything go. But we’re here to remind you that your greatest power during a tough day lies in how you react to the things that are getting under your skin. Here are seven parts of those wrong-side-of-the-bed days that just aren’t worth stressing over.

1. The Morning Workout You Skipped

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Classic, right? Sometimes you even blame this choice (and the snooze button that followed it) for why your entire day now feels off kilter. And because you were the one who ultimately chose sleep over sweat, you sit there and scold yourself on loop. But what does this accomplish? Oh right, it just makes you feel worse. Give yourself permission to be human, forgive yourself and let it go. The gym will still be there tomorrow.

2. Being Late To Work

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This one is especially difficult for punctual people to handle. Crashing into the office like a flustered mess is not the ideal way to kick off a workday. But you know what? Sometimes, shit just happens. New construction creates surprise traffic, train malfunctions cause delays, the list goes on. It doesn’t serve you to let frustration fester over your tardiness as you rush to your desk chair. Just breathe and focus on being a productive and efficient employee when you get there.

3. Feeling Bored At Work

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You might not think boredom can lead to stress, but it can certainly manifest a negative or cynical perspective that overshadows the rest of your day. So rather than sitting there growing agitated by your lack of interest in your tasks, power through them and use the spare time to daydream a little bit about something that fills you with purpose. Let your imagination shift your internal dialogue from things you know you don’t want to do to things you do want to do.

4. The Happy Hour Plans You’re Dreading

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Sometimes, you just don’t feel like your normal, social self. And that’s entirely okay. But when those moods coincide with dinner or drink plans with your best friends, a strong sense of anxiety can start to swell inside you. So instead of growing more and more uncomfortable over the course of the day, be honest with yourself. Is this feeling one you can shake when you see your girls and get distracted? Or is it worth rescheduling with them so you don’t risk killing everyone’s vibe? Once you have that answer, adjust course accordingly. We promise — real friends will always understand.

5. All Of The Needs Of Your Friends

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This one’s for you, people pleasers. Most days, it’s second nature to lean into and nurture the needs and requests of those you love most in life. But when you’re already feeling off, you need to help you first before you even consider giving more of yourself to others. Adding more stress and anxiety to your plate today will only deplete you even further, so just don’t go there. Establish your boundaries, kindly and respectfully offer to pitch tomorrow, and don’t let yourself feel guilty about it.

6. The Number Of Likes On Your Latest Instagram Post

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If you’re already having one of those days, you probably shouldn’t be posting on social media in the first place (hello, emotional rants). But you most definitely shouldn’t be nursing your habit of constantly checking in to see how people in your networks are engaging with your posts or updates or statuses or whatever. Today, that doesn’t matter. Only your mental well-being matters. So toss your phone into the other room and chill out with a good book instead. Getting sucked into an interesting plotline will be much more beneficial than falling down the rabbit hole of social media.

7. Your Struggle To Fall Asleep

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You want this crappy day to end, yet your brain doesn’t want to let it. So instead of trying harder and harder to relax, which you know never works, just let your body be awake. Keep reading that book, do some calming yoga stretches, try some lavender aromatherapy or write out your frustrations in your journal so they stop circling in your mind. You know that both sleep and a new day will come eventually, so there’s no use in rushing the inevitable. Be in this moment with yourself, and shift your thinking from, “Wow, today sucked” to, “Wow, tomorrow is definitely going to be so much better.”