One of my pet peeves is when people complain about the little things. You know, the petty ones. Mind you, I’ll be honest and say that sometimes, I do it too. However, I try to catch myself, repeat the following mantra (more of a hashtag really), and fuh-get-about-it.
Here is the hashtag I recite during these times:
#firstworldproblems
Yup, that’s the one! It comes to mind whenever people (including me) start complaining about silly small things that we should really just be grateful for in the first place.
Case in point: “Ohhh I got the wrong kind of soap! SHOOT! But the other one is my favourite! Ugh, this sucks.”
What just happened there?
Be thankful that you have a shower, and probably even a bathtub if you choose to use that instead. Be grateful that you have deliciously hot water (likely with great water pressure to match). Be happy that you have the means to buy soap and even choose which kind you want (even if you did accidentally pick up the wrong one).
See?
#firstworldproblems fits perfectly here. What we must do is sit back, maybe repeat that hashtag in our head a few times, and realize how amazingly lucky we are. Then, we take the “wrong” soap we bought into the shower, and enjoy it!
Second case in point: “Omigod, I can’t decide what I want to dooo. Okay, there’s Indian, Thai, Italian, and Chinese. We could order in… oh but then we could also eat at the restaurant instead. OR instead of having dinner, we could go out to a movie! Oh, so many decisions! I’m so STRESSED!”
Um, I’m sorry, pardon? All those lovely options you have are making you stressed? Sit back, take a few deep breaths, and be so thankful that you have even one of those options available to you, never mind so very many.
I could go on and on, but I know you get the point (and likely have more of your own examples to add). Besides the fact that it’s kinda annoying, it’s actually not great for our nervous system. Think about it: stress is stress is stress. No matter how “stressful” it actually is, our body will react the same way, if we let it.
So, if I’m being forced to get up and answer the ringing phone while I’m comfy on the couch, my stress levels are negatively affected if I perceive it as a stressor. On the other hand, if I take a deep breath, get excited about who might be calling, and feel appreciative that I can connect with others from the comfort of my own home, my stress levels are unaffected. And therefore, my nervous system (and poor little adrenal glands) are happy and healthy.
Bottom line: Appreciate what you have. Be grateful for all of it. And please don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s just not worth it.
What to do instead? Smile, stay positive, and be happy. Life is much too short not to. 🙂