Looking to add some distress to your frantic, chaotic life? In today’s modern world, it can often seem impossible to pile more stress on top of the mountain of things you already have to worry about. Here are some ways to get that overwhelmed feeling back in your life, perfect for days when you might just think you’re setting yourself up for productivity and satisfaction.

  • Know your limits and show no respect for them: Write down everything you ‘need’ to do, all the errands and chores and work and necessities. That is, if you count things like eating and showering as necessary. Don’t stop there. Write more things than you will possibly have time to do. ‘Get ahead’ on something is always a good one- as if you’ll have a moment for that. Write things you physically cannot do. Include tasks such as: bake crème brulee, captain a ship across the Atlantic, ride a roller coaster four times without tossing your cookies.

  • Fret the future to pieces: Worry about the future- both near and distant. Sure, you have a lot of things that tomorrow is depending on, but what about the tomorrow after that? Consider your job prospects years from now and calculate your earnings based on inflation and the stock market. Worry that you’ll never find true love and pick some names for your future cats and cacti that will keep you company while you wonder if your family even remembers you. Remember the future is unpredictable, so plan according to any and all possible outcomes. Don’t write any of this down so you can freak out again later because you can’t remember your plans.
  • Become consumed by the ghosts of your past: Remember that thing you did several years ago that brings back those lingering feelings of embarrassment and guilt. Scream audibly, melodramatically, “Why?” If you’ve got a few more seconds, throw in some regret for those things you failed to accomplish earlier that same day. You can’t change the past, which is precisely why past mistakes are one of the most reliable sources of stress.
  • Back to square -1: Spend hours doing something not on your to-do list. Watch three episodes of Law and Order and eat a bowl of Lucky Charms. If you weren’t in a crunch for time before, you sure are now.

-Ivy Decker, Contributor