Dear Overwhelmed,
I feel your pain.
We live in a stressful, pressure-packed, anxious time in which everything is judged and little ever seems to be enough for ourselves or others.
But there’s an antidote you can give yourself tomorrow.
Here are some reminders of the choices you may have forgotten you have…
1. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.
Seriously.
Only doing what you want for a day won’t ruin your life…it will improve it.
2. You don’t have to have a productive morning.
For that matter, you don’t even have to have a productive day.
3. You don’t have to do what you usually do.
Identify a routine, pick a habit, and break it.
4. You don’t have to be the strong one.
Or the weak one. Or the supportive one. Or the needy one.
You can be whatever one you want to be.
5. You don’t have to hustle.
A little laziness does a body good.
6. You don’t have to check social media.
Don’t worry, your Likes will all be waiting for you when you log back in the day after tomorrow.
7. You don’t have to be so hard on yourself.
You’re not perfect, but you’re fine. Stop beating yourself up.
8. You don’t have to make excuses.
You’re allowed to say no to things. Guilt isn’t mandatory.
9. You don’t have to be an adult.
Go do something you did as a kid or talk to somebody you talked to as a kid.
Go play.
10. You don’t have to play it safe.
It’s more fun not to.
11. You don’t have to cook.
Or clean. Or do laundry. Or run errands.
12. You don’t have to impress anyone.
Nobody’s paying as much attention to you as you think anyway. Just be you.
13. You don’t have to hide your talents, passions, and interests.
It’s ok. We’re all weird. And weird is interesting.
14. You don’t have to go to the same places you always go.
There’s a whole world out there waiting for you to discover it.
15. You don’t have to take the same route to work or home from it.
There’s more than one way to get where you need to go.
16. You don’t have to settle.
You might want to keep this one in mind for more than just tomorrow.
17. You don’t have to live up to the expectations others.
And you don’t have to live down to the limitations they put on you either.
18. You don’t have to let the news anger, frustrate, or depress you.
There’s no shortage of ugly in the world these days, but there’s just as much beauty in it. Focus on that for a day.
19. You don’t have to wonder “What if…” any more.
Ask the question you’re scared to ask.
Try the thing you’ve always wanted to try.
Get closure. End the hypotheticals.
20. You don’t have to pay attention to this list.
It’s optional. Just like everything in our lives.
That’s the point.