UNITED STATES—I seriously have no clue where time has gone, but this week has been a whirlwind to say the least. The biggest lesson that I have learned is that I simply cannot wait till the last minute to do things. I mean I’m already juggling two jobs, and just a bunch of utter family chaos. In the midst of this madness, my brother decides he wants to host Thanksgiving dinner. To be honest, I’m happy to hear this, but at the same time it leaves me unnerved. Why? I seriously had no idea how I would be able to do it all, and then it hit me, you can’t do it all so don’t attempt to.

I’ve worked in retail for years, and I tell people all the time, do not assume that things are slow, when in reality they are busy as hell. You simply should not wait till the day before Thanksgiving or the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. For those who work at any grocery store or mass club retailer, I feel your pain, and all I can say is be patient and remember that once Turkey Day arrives the chaos dies down a bit for most people.

Considering I’ve worked in a grocery store, I should be well aware that going to the store a day or two before the big cooking day of the year is not wise. Well, I didn’t plan ahead. As a result, the prices were higher than I expected, the lines were longer than I expected and several of the items I actually needed I could not find. That is the worse feeling, knowing that you need a specific item for a recipe, but cannot find it anywhere because you waited till the last minute.

On top of that, I’ve been struggling immensely with trying to get any sleep. I feel like no matter what I do: rather it’s going to sleep early, turning off the TV, being in a region that is quiet, none of it helps! I know what the problem is and it’s something I’m going to have to address sooner than later. What is it? Stress! I have to find a way to alleviate my stress and to not allow stupid or silly things to disrupt my day or overall energy.

For starters, I’m so sick of people texting or contacting me when I’m busy. If I’m not AT WORK, there is no reason for work to be contacting me. It’s like some companies expect you to work 24/7, yet they’re not willing to pay you for doing the work. Look, if I’m not on the clock it’s simple, don’t disturb me unless it’s an emergency, and for the love of God, some people need to learn how to do their own jobs without relying on someone else to do it because they’re too lazy to do it themselves. You’re overextending me, you’re burning me out, and my mind and body simply cannot take it anymore.

So I did the unthinkable, but I’m glad I did so: I turned my freaking cell phone off on Friday. It was my one day off the week from two stressful as hell jobs, and just utter madness. You know what I did as a result, I relaxed, I spent time with family and created memories. I didn’t care what happened at work. Whatever isn’t done, will just simply have to wait till I’m next scheduled to work because I don’t want the headache, and it’s my off day. Heck, I was the one busy working on the Thanksgiving holiday, while everyone else was spending time with family or friends and eating a great meal. Did anyone contact me to ask if I need help or assistance? No, not one single bit.

Stress is bad for the body, and for me particularly it impacts my sleep. Once I’m wound up, it becomes very difficult for me to tinker my nerves down. I’m starting to realize just listening to my favorite podcast or going into a completely silent room with no technology whatsoever does the trick. The key is coming to terms that that peace will only last so long. So how do you counter it? Just keep reminding yourself to focus on the good and let everything else be. You cannot control the world and you should never put yourself in a situation where you feel the need to do it all. We’re all human, we’re not superheroes and no one should expect it.

Written By Kelsey Thomas