Not Getting Stressed

It’s okay to be late

Kevin Jones
3 min readAug 8, 2022
An image of an empty open suitcase on a rug. The suitcase lining is light grey. The dark grey exterior of the suitcase is just visible.
Photo: author

We were getting ready to visit my parents and it was taking forever to get everything ready and for us to get out of the door. Temperatures were flaring, words were being said. The dog was getting more and more wound up and the baby more and more confused. it’s regatta week in Salcombe and there is a risk that some or all of the events we want to attend will be missed.

I know I shouldn’t get stressed when things take longer to do because of the dog or the baby, or when it takes us forever to get out of the house. I know this, but in the heat of the moment — when it seems like you’re the only one who cares about a looming deadline — it’s hard to remember.

I’ve always hated being late for things.

This is my life now and I accept it willingly, but again, the heat of the moment. I have this theory that the amount of time it takes for us get ready increases disproportionately with the number of people in the house. Like when we went from 1 to 2 people, departure started taking more than twice as long. We’re now four counting the dog. We’re screwed if we add another child or dog

In these situations, here are some things that I find help.

Breathe.

Consider what is in your control, and what isn’t. Have you taken care of the…

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Kevin Jones

Maritime Sustainability Specialist. Editor of Rethink Convenience and author of the Live Circular newsletter