How To Not Sweat The Small Stuff

Overreacting and blowing things out of proportion are habits that seem all too common in our hectic world. If you are prone to sweating the small stuff, you can change that bad habit and learn to respond to adversity with more ease and grace. When you do, life will seem simpler and problems more manageable. There are many ways to create more peace in your world and realize the power of your own thoughts.

Step 1

Breathe! Inhale deeply though your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. Think about breathing into your lower abdomen, making it rise and fall with each breath. Fill your lungs up with fresh air and then release it to a count of 10. Do this for a full minute. When you are sweating the small stuff, you may be holding your breath and not even realize it or you may not be breathing deeply enough. Shallow breathing delivers less oxygen to your body which leads to muscular tension and more stress. Deep breathing is a simple technique that becomes more effective with practice.

Step 2

Be still! Train your mind to become still and quiet. Spend just five or ten minutes a day alone, preferably outside in nature, teaching your mind to relax. Meditation is a popular method of clearing the mind, but simply spending time alone in quiet reflection and contemplation is also effective. Having time alone is rejuvenating and peaceful. According to Eckhart Tolle, “Stillness is where creativity and solutions to problems are found.” Emptying the mind grows easier when stillness is repeated on a daily basis.

Step 3

Focus! Bring your attention back to the present moment. Allowing your thoughts to be dominated by past problems or fears of the future will lead to unnecessary nervous tension and anxiety. The past is the past and the future may never occur, so don’t waste the present moment by dwelling on them. Keep your attention focused on the here and now and push fear from your mind.

Tips and Warnings

Get moving! Exercise is one of the best ways to bust stress. If you want to stop sweating the small stuff, start sweating at the gym.
Never give up! Just when you think you have things under control, life has a way of testing you. Go back to the basics and breathe. This too shall pass.