Americans are more likely to regret the things they didn’t do than the things they did do.
That’s according to a survey of 2,000 US adults evenly split by generation, which found that only 11% of Americans have no regrets.
Between not talking (40%), not visiting family or friends enough (36%) and not pursuing their dreams (35%), those missed opportunities add up.
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In their lifetime, Americans average three missed opportunities to take a trip in their lifetime, four missed opportunities to ask how much they love it and six missed opportunities to return to contention.
On the other hand, the top actions Americans regret include spending money or making purchases (49%), fighting with friends or family (43%) and making inappropriate comments (36%).
Over the years, Americans have also blamed themselves with an average of five angry text messages and two breakups.
In fact, nearly one-third (32%) of children growing up have regrets that span three decades and still cross their minds an average of three times a month.
Although the oldest regret of millennials is only about 11 years old, they worry about it about once a week, more than any other generation.
Related: Top 5 Mid-Career Regrets
Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Mucinex, the results revealed that Americans are almost twice as likely to make bad decisions at night (41%) than in the morning (22%).
In addition, Americans often regret something at night (43%). Nighttime decisions such as not going to bed on time (47%), eating too much or too much (36%) and arguing with a loved one (35%) are the most likely to have a negative impact on Americans the next morning. .
For Gen Zers, failing to do their nightly routine (29%) or forgetting to turn on their alarm (22%) will almost always guarantee morning stress.
These poor decisions not only create regret but also put Americans in a bad mood (39%), leave them unable to face the day (29%) or prevent them from fulfilling the day’s obligations (20%).
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But what are the factors behind these bad decisions? According to the results, tiredness (40%), sickness and longing to relax (20%) or after spending a long night (15%) are the main reasons.
“We don’t make the best decisions when we’re sick or tired, especially at night,” said Albert So, senior respiratory marketing director at Reckitt. “And while no one is going to fix you all the time, it’s important to have products you can rely on to help you make better decisions so you don’t wake up with regrets.”
For all the bad decisions made and opportunities missed, 48% of Americans still agree with the common saying, “Never regret anything because, at one time, it was exactly what you wanted.”
This may be because almost two-thirds (64%) believe that decision-making has improved as they get older.
The results also revealed that some “bad” decisions do not always lead to feelings of regret. Staying up late with friends (24%), quitting work (23%), getting a chance to eat new food (20%), going to a new place (17%) and going to a concert on a weekday (10%) are all decisions that Americans think “should have .”
“There are few things worse than starting your day regretting the choices you made the night before, especially if you’re suffering from cold and flu symptoms and have a busy day ahead,” she says. “Feeling better starts with a good night’s sleep and making smart decisions before bed so you wake up ready to go without regrets.”
Related: 10 Regrets Most Entrepreneurs Finally Face
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