Day 13: The Bad Habit Hit List: A Countdown to Unf*cking Your Life, One Crappy Habit at a Time
#3. Holding Grudges: I’m not holding a grudge, I just remember everything you’ve ever done wrong.
“That thing you did in 1997 was totally out of f*cking order!”
Grudges…
The emotional equivalent of hoarding old receipts in your wallet because one day you might need to prove a point from 2014.
Petty?
Yes.
Relatable?
Extremely.
Holding grudges is like carrying around a rucksack full of bricks.
You’re waiting for the perfect moment to drop them on someone’s unsuspecting head… except the person who’s really getting crushed under the weight is you.
Why we do it
Grudges feel like justice.
Like our own personal court case where we’re both the prosecution and the judge, sentencing people to a lifetime of imaginary punishment.
“She never texted me back in 2019 — therefore, she deserves to rot in the fiery pits of my cold, silent resentment for all eternity.”
It’s weirdly satisfying, isn’t it?
Like a little mental revenge playlist on loop.
The problem is, they’re not suffering — you are.
They’re off living their best life, blissfully unaware you’ve been mentally hexing them every time their name pops up and spiralling into a stupor.
The side effects of clutching your grudge like Gollum with the “One ring to rule them all”:
Constant background irritation, like a fly buzzing around your head… forever.
Replaying the same argument in the shower like you're rehearsing for a Netflix special.
Passive-aggressive social media lurking (don't lie, you've checked their LinkedIn at 2am just to make sure their life is still shit). (It’s not.)
Wishing bad haircuts and parking tickets upon them — but pretending you're the bigger person.
Grinding your teeth so hard your dentist thinks you're trying to tunnel your way to Narnia.
How to drop the emotional dead weight
Acknowledge That It’s a Bit… Embarrassing
Carrying a grudge is like marinating yourself in emotional vinegar.
You might think you're preserving your self-respect, but really, you're just pickling your own sanity.Ask Yourself: Are They Even Thinking About You?
They’re not.
They’re out there living their life, probably eating brunch without a care in the world — while you’re mentally composing a Ted Talk about why they’re a dickhead.Write a Petty Letter (Then Burn It)
Go full Shakespearean villain.
List every single reason why they’re a walking red flag.
Call them a half-baked soggy crumpet if you want to.
Then set fire to it like you’re banishing them to the shadow realm.Rebrand Forgiveness as Selfishness
Forgiving someone doesn’t mean you’re giving them a free pass — it means you’re finally letting yourself clock out of the night shift at the Emotional Resentment Factory.Channel Your Inner Elsa and “Let That Shit Go” (those are the original words BTW)
Honestly, life’s too short to carry emotional baggage that doesn't even match your outfit.
Final thoughts
Holding grudges doesn’t punish anyone but yourself.
It’s like drinking expired milk just to prove a point to the cow.
The only person still suffering is you — clutching your grudge like a Victorian widow clutching pearls, while they’re out there living rent-free in your head.
Let it go.
Unsubscribe from the bitterness.
Subscribe to the (UN)BROKEN.
Set those bricks down and walk away.
Next up:
#2. Negative Self-Talk: “Stop being such an asshole… to yourself”