Weekend getaways are always fun, but there's one thing to do before leaving that never is: packing. While packing may be easy for some, it's also very stressful for others. If you tend to fill your bag until it can zip no further, you probably suffer from over packers syndrome.
You deal with packing anxiety before every trip, and while you will probably pack all of your belongings, you easily may still forget something.
If you are an over packer, you've likely experienced the stages of packing anxiety:
1. The Initial Thought of Packing
A week ago, you found out about your weekend trip and were ecstatic! Now, the week has progressed and you realize that, somehow, you leave in a couple of days.
Right then, the worst part hits you: you have to pack. You consider starting but convince yourself there's plenty of time left, so go on with your day.
2. Realizing That You Have to Start Packing
Since you leave tomorrow, you realize you still need to pack and haven't started. So, you are left with no choice but to begin...
Thoughts immediately begin rushing through your head:
“What do I do?”
“What in the world am I going to bring with me?”
"Which bag will fit everything?"
3. Forcing Yourself to Begin the Packing Process
After a slight panic attack, you suck it up and force yourself to begin packing. You begin searching through your wardrobe to find outfits for each day.
Seems easy, right? NOT. Your head once again fills with potential scenarios:
“What if someone borrows my clothes?”
“What if there's a tornado? A hurricane? A monsoon?”
“What if there's a hole that swallows up the earth, and I need clothes?”
4. Reasoning with Your Irrational Thoughts
You believe you're thinking rationally, and that those potential situations could all occur. You respond by throwing every article of clothing you own into one duffle bag, only to realize later that you now have no room for any shoes.
5. Determining Bigger is Better
FINALLY, the morning of the trip is here. The last thing to pack is your toiletries. You start packing them up in full sized bottles (since you never bother with travel size), along with your straightener and whatever else can still fit at this point.
6. Satisfaction
You take a step back from your crammed bag and sight out of relief. You successfully managed to seal all zippers around the bag (well, sort of).
7. The Questioning
Your friends sit in the car, waiting for you to load your bag. When they see you struggling to carry what appears to be a body bag, they begin to laugh.
“Why did you bring so much stuff? You do realize we're only going for a couple of days, right?”
One normally would get offended by these remarks, but by now you’re used to it and can easily brush them off.
Stage 8. No Remorse
Once it's time to leave, you find out packing to go home is actually worse than packing for the trip.
You also notice you didn't touch half the clothes you packed, but have no regrets, because you were only playing it safe. You would apologize to your friends for taking up so much room, but you already know the same thing will happen next trip.
