It’s Not That Serious, Bro: The Ultimate Guide to Chilling Out
- MJ Wynn
- May 8
- 3 min read
Updated: May 25
You ever lie awake thinking about how we're all just... doing our best to keep it together? 🌙 Like, here I am, another night scrolling through my mental highlight reel of every slightly awkward thing I've ever done. And then it hit me – maybe we're all taking this whole "life" thing a bit too seriously? ✨
Here's the realest of real talk: Remember that time in high school when you tripped in front of everyone? Or that Discord call where your cat decided to show everyone their butt?
Nobody else is replaying those moments except you. I promise. We're all too busy reliving our own collection of chaos to remember anyone else's.
And that "you too!" you blurted out to the movie ticket person who said "enjoy the show"? They probably didn't even hear it over the sound of their own internal monologue about whether they said "enjoy" or "enjoy your show." 🎭
I say this as someone who once spent three hours analyzing a text because someone used a period instead of an exclamation point.
(Yes, I'm working on it. Yes, I know I need help. 😅)
The Art of Not Giving a Single Overcooked Spaghetti Noodle 🍝
Last week, I had this moment while stress-eating cold leftovers over my kitchen sink (we've all been there, right?). What if – and stay with me here – we just... stopped? Stopped pretending we have it all figured out? Stopped acting like every minor setback is the end of our story? What if we admitted that none of us actually knows what we're doing, and that's perfectly okay? 💫
Because honestly? Carrying around all this worry is exhausting. It's like wearing a weighted vest made of "what-ifs" and "should-haves." And let me tell you, as someone who's been training for the Anxiety Olympics since childhood, that stuff gets heavy. 🏋️♀️
I catch myself sometimes, hunched over my phone, dissecting a friend's message like I'm writing my thesis on the subtle implications of "k" versus "kk." Or lying awake cataloging every slightly off thing I said during a meeting three weeks ago. (Side note: Why do these thoughts always hit hardest at 3 AM? Can we petition for a more convenient time?) 🤔
Things I'm Slowly (Very Slowly) Learning to Release Into the Wild 🦋
Being perfect at everything. Seriously, who made up this rule? Even my succulent died, and those things are supposedly unkillable. We're all just doing our best. 🌱
Cringy moments. They're just spicy memories now. Plus, they make great stories at brunch. 🥂
Timelines. Your 20s are for exploring, your 30s are for figuring it out, and your 40s are for... actually, who knows? Let's make it up as we go! 🎯
What others think. Fun fact: Everyone else is too busy wondering what YOU think of THEM to judge you. 🤯
Those overthought emails. No one has ever died from using too many or too few exclamation points. (Though I still agonize over this daily.) ✉️
Dinner decisions. Sometimes adulting means having ice cream for dinner. I don't make the rules. 🍨
How to Actually Let Go (Written from My Anxiety Blanket Fort) 💭
Look, I won't pretend I've mastered any of this. Some days I'm a zen goddess, and others I'm stress-googling "how to know if you're having a quarter-life crisis at 35." But here's what helps me: When I'm spiraling, I ask myself, "Will future-me even remember this?" Usually not. And if she does? Well, that's what therapy and wine nights with friends are for. 🍷
For the big stuff? Feel it all. Cry in your car. Dance it out in your kitchen. Text your best friend a string of incomprehensible emojis. Just remember to be gentle with yourself after. We're all just hearts trying our best in human suits. 💝
When everything feels too much? Eat something. Seriously. It's wild how many life crises can be at least temporarily solved with a good snack. I keep emergency cookies in my desk drawer, and I regret nothing. 🍪
Listen, your typo-filled text didn't ruin anything. Your cancelled plans didn't end any friendships. Your different path isn't wrong – it's just yours. And that's beautiful.
We're all just starfish trying to tap dance here (weird metaphor, but I'm keeping it). Some days we nail it, some days we flail spectacularly. Both are perfectly valid ways to exist. 🌟
Keep being soft. Keep being curious. Keep snacks nearby.
You're doing amazing, sweetie. For real. ✨
🌷 Signed, MJ
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