5 Things You Should Never Lose Sleep Over (And 5 Things You Should)

The closer and closer I get to my thirties (lord help me) I realize that I wasted so, so, SO much of my time stressing over stuff that is frankly, fucking stupid. My entire stretch of early to mid-twenties was so focused on trying to please everyone around me and trying to play the peacemaker of my own life. I’ve grown a little wiser (fingers crossed)  and here are all the lessons I’ve learned about what you should and should not care about.

1. You should NOT waste time on any sort of relationship that doesn’t make you happy.

You SHOULD surround yourself with people who fuel your inspirations, fuel your good mood, and fuel your passions. Anything less is a waste of time and energy.

2. You should NOT stress about your financial situation because there’s something you can do to remedy it.

You SHOULD open up a retirement plan. You SHOULD put away 10% of every paycheck to help you get started on how to save. You SHOULD ask yourself before every purchase: “Do I really NEED this?”

3. You should NOT stay at a job you hate for any reason. People will argue that you need to stay to feed your family and to pay your bills but there’s a difference between staying at a job and staying at a job until you land something better.

You SHOULD always keep your resume up to date. You SHOULD apply for jobs, every single night if you’re unhappy with your current employment situation. You SHOULD not sidestep your happiness because 40-50 hours a week on something that brings you misery is not a good life to live. You won’t be the best version of yourself if you remain in this situation, trust me.

4. You should NOT downplay your emotions of any kind. You should NOT be quiet if someone you know hurts you. You should NOT allow people to walk all over you.

You SHOULD stand up for yourself. You SHOULD end toxic friendships and toxic relationships. You SHOULD talk about your mental health. You SHOULD not ever, ever be ashamed to ask for what you need at any point during your day. You SHOULD not be concerned if someone around you doesn’t ‘get it.’

5. You should NOT place more emphasis on the shitty parts of your day than on the bright ones.

You SHOULD remind yourself that there are mean people in the world who hate you, simply because they do and there is nothing you can do to fix it. You SHOULD remind yourself that everyone has insecurities and it’s not your job to remedy them. You SHOULD not take to heart that co-worker’s mean words about you. You SHOULD not waste precious moments fixated on the drama and gossip. You SHOULD compliment someone every single day. You SHOULD remind yourself to not be so hard on yourself for your mistakes. You SHOULD not think that someone else’s opinions on should make you question your own value.