Thrive In 2023 And Beyond: 10 Power Habits To Stop Sweating The Small Stuff
Are you a worrier? Does it take very little to send your anxiety into overdrive? Are you overly concerned about the everyday interactions you have that leave you wondering if you left a good impression on someone? If this sounds like you, consider making 2023 the year you learn how to stop worrying about what isn’t really that important. These ten power habits can help you focus on what’s most important in life rather than sweating the small stuff.
Use a small notebook or journal as a “brain dump” for worrisome or anxious thoughts.
When you’re busy sweating the small stuff, you may feel like there are thousands of little thoughts clouding your thinking – and often, all those little thoughts are stopping you from actually focusing on what you need to get done. If this sounds familiar, consider using a journal as a place to “brain dump.” Write down those little thoughts as they occur – this way, you can revisit them later when you have time, allowing you to stop sweating the small stuff and focus on what is most important in the moment.
Reach out to someone you consider a part of your support circle for help when you need it.
A great way to stop sweating the small stuff is to voice your concerns to someone you know and trust. Get into the habit of asking for help when you need it. Instead of suffering alone with excess worry and anxiety, call on someone you trust to be a kind ear. Often, your trusted friends or family members make great sounding boards for hearing your concerns and then helping you work through them logically.
Measure your anxious or stressed-out thoughts against reality.
If you struggle from many anxious or stress-induced thoughts, get into the habit of measuring them against reality. Often, you’ll discover that a lot of anxiety-induced thinking rarely aligns with fact, truth, and reality. Once you start to question these anxious thoughts, you’ll notice yourself sweating the small stuff less and less frequently.
Practice deep breathing exercises to regain control of your body and mind during a stressful time.
There is a major reason why meditation practices have used deep breathing exercises for thousands of years across multiple cultures – they are effective! If you catch yourself sweating the small stuff in life often, pick up the power habit of using deep breathing exercises to regain control of your body and calm yourself. Taking in some deep, measured breaths, holding them, and then slowly releasing them forces your body to physically slow down – this includes calming your mind, your heart rate, and more. Once you have your body and mind under control, you can focus more easily on reality instead of your stressful thoughts.
Maintain a good, consistent sleep schedule.
Getting enough good quality sleep is an essential part of controlling your worries and anxieties. When you are feeling well rested, you are far less likely to sweat the small stuff in life. Being too tired causes you to feel frustrated and on edge, which is the perfect storm for excessive worry and anxiety to form.
Practice the 3-3-3 rule to quell anxious thoughts and worries.
A great way to stop anxious thinking and sweating the small stuff is to practice the 3-3-3 method. To use this method, do the following when you feel worries and anxiety taking over your thinking:
- Name three things you can hear
- Name three things you can see
- Move three different parts of your body.
By doing these simple exercises, you interrupt your anxious thinking cycle by bringing yourself back into the present moment.
Accept that mistakes are a natural part of being a human being.
After making mistakes, many people tend to linger on them long after they’ve occurred. Rather than allowing themselves to move forward and continue living their lives, they may ruminate on their mistakes, not allowing themselves to learn and grow from what happened. Instead of allowing mistakes to make you sweat, get into the habit of accepting that mistakes are a natural and normal part of being human. The sooner you were able to accept this, the easier you’ll be able to let go of your mistakes and stop sweating them every time you make them.
Use tools such as calendars and to-do lists to keep your life more organized.
A great way to eliminate excess worry from your life is to keep yourself organized. Get into the habit of using tools like calendars and to-do lists to keep your priorities and schedule in check. If you know exactly what you need to do and when, you’re far less likely to worry about forgetting (or worse, actually forget) something important that would otherwise cause you concern.
Validate your own thoughts and feelings.
It is much easier to stop sweating the small stuff in life when you validate your own thoughts and feelings. Even if you are sweating the small stuff, it’s essential to validate the way you’re thinking and feeling about them. Get into the habit of validating your feelings, even if you feel like you are overreacting. There is likely a reason why you sweat the small stuff, and admitting that you have a problem with it is the first step toward squashing that excess worry.
Practice looking for the truth in every scenario.
If you struggle with not sweating the small stuff in life, get into the habit of looking for the truth in every scenario you imagine or actually face. Whether your anxieties are real or imagined, if you practice looking for the truth in every scenario and situation, you will most likely realize that your anxieties and worries are rarely ever based in reality. After practicing this habit a few times, you’ll be able to analyze your anxieties and worries through a critical lens that makes them seem a lot less scary.
