Regret is an essential signal not a flaw

You’re rushing through your day when you realize you let a key deadline slip. The knot in your stomach tells you exactly what’s wrong—you regret not setting that reminder, and your boss’s email isn’t going to help you sleep tonight. You glance at your phone buzzing with notifications, and for a second you feel alone in that sinking feeling.

But you don’t have to stay stuck there. You pause at your desk, take a steadying breath, and name it: “I regret missing that deadline.” That little label feels like handing your worry a cup of coffee and turning on the lights—suddenly, it’s something you can see and tackle rather than a dark, shapeless weight in your chest. You dig out a sticky note and scrawl: “What went wrong? How can I stop this next time?” Then you pick up your phone and fire a quick text to a friend: “I need to talk through this miss.” Hearing your own words aloud helps you realize everyone makes mistakes.

By claiming your regret, you transform it from a paralyzing punch to the spark of a change. Your words and that note become your action plan—because regret isn’t a failure; it’s the clearest signpost directing you where to step next. I might be wrong, but I’ve found that whenever I frame regret as information rather than judgment, I end up making smarter choices—and sleeping sounder.

First, stop and label your sinking feeling as regret. That simple naming clears the fog so you know exactly what’s bugging you. Next, write down three quick notes about what you did, why it didn’t work, and what you’ll do differently—turning emotion into a clear plan. Then text a trusted friend with one sentence about what happened; sharing lightens the load. Give this a try today—you’ll see how naming and sharing regret can set you back on course.