Why It's Okay To Be Upset Over Little Things

     For the past week, I've been stuck in a bad mood rut. Usually, I breeze right by minor setbacks, taking them in stride. Now, they're hitting me hard, leaving me grumpy and unsure what I'm even so upset about. I'm a big believer in the power of positivity, so I figured I could just will my bad feelings away, or at least squash them down until they disappeared on their own. Unfortunately, bad feelings will come out, no matter how hard you try to hold them in, and sometimes at inconvenient times.

Yesterday, I suddenly remembered an exercise for such times. The idea is to sit down with a pen and paper and list everything, big or small,  that is contributing to your bad mood. When you read over the paper, the things listed seem petty and ridiculous; supposedly, you'll realise how little you actually have to worry about, and your annoyance will melt away.

Sounds easy, right? I decided to give it a shot. What I came up with was this:

1. 1. Starbucks is out of my favourite drink again, and they won't have it until Thursday.
2. 2. I have nothing to do for the next 3 days. I'm going to be bored.
3. 3. I can't get my Instagram feed to look right.
4.  I'm not gaining followers on any social media platform.
5.  I feel totally inadequate in everything I do.
6.  I have cleaning I don't want to do.

As you can see, most of the things tugging at me were pretty minor, except for one which I didn't even realize was an issue until I wrote this list. But that's a topic for another post (and trust me - there will be one!).

While I'm sure a good deal of my bad mood was being caused by that hidden issue, some of these things had nothing to do with that, so I'll put that matter aside for now. Some of them were just completely, indulgently petty. I tried to look at them through the "right" lens; It really doesn't make sense to wander around grumpy for days, missing out on time you could be enjoying if not for these small grievances.

But then I asked myself: Are they still bothering me? The answer is yes! I'm still craving a Frappuccino. I still don't want to clean. I still am most likely going to be bored out of my mind in the next few days. So what if I just let myself be those things? What's really so bad about being upset for petty reasons? 

What if you instead give yourself permission to feel upset because humans are meant to experience an entire wide range of emotions? I've decided that's what I'm going to do, and I believe you should too! Be upset about missing your train, running late, or burning your mouth with hot coffee. We are all human, none of us perfect. In the end, it's feels so much better to say Okay, I just can't even today and crawl into bed with some ice cream to sulk, than to pretend you have everything under control at all times. Some days just suck, and that's okay. No one is going to be reading over your list of things that make you upset and judging you (except maybe mine, because it's on the internet now). My point is, no one can judge you for being upset by perfectly human things because you are human. You don't always have to be strong. You just have to give yourself permission to be a little petty sometimes.

How do you feel better after a bad day? Let me know below!