14 Phrases That WIll Help You Stop Worrying About Things That Don't Matter In The Long-Run
Most of us know that worry isn’t helpful and is often painful, but we still cling to it for some reason.
Samson Katt | Pexels Do you think you could ever stop worrying? Quitting worry is, for many, a bit like saying you’re going to live in an exotic country and saying you’re jealous of your friends who’ve already done it, but always finding a way never to leave your hometown.
Most of us know that worry isn’t helpful — especially about things that don't matter in the long run — often painful, but we still cling to it for some reason. Here are phrases to help you shift your relationship with worry so you do it less.
Here are phrases that will help you stop worrying about things that don't matter in the long run:
1. People worry because it gives them a sense of control
A small part of them believes that by entertaining worrying thoughts, they will, in some way, seize back some control they feel they lack. There are some things, actually most things, in life that you just cannot control, and worrying about it will give you even less control.
2. If you’ve ever felt energized by worrying, you may have an unhealthy relationship with anxiety
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Is worrying what you want to waste your energy on? Research suggests that while excessive worrying is detrimental, moderate worry can sometimes feel energizing. This is because worry motivates, signaling the need to take action and prepare for a potentially harmful outcome.
A 2021 experimental study found this creates a sense of braced readiness against the perceived threat, particularly in situations where worry prompts proactive planning or problem-solving.
3. Worry is a woeful misuse of the imagination
Instead of imagining what could go wrong, start imagining what could go right.
4. Worrying happens when we buy into the perceived importance of serious and heavy thoughts
Your mind lies to you more than you think.
5. Worrying is not the same as thinking through a problem
The former is a panic response, whereas the latter is a creative one. Worrying is not the solution to your problems.
6. Our thoughts are not there to be believed but instead used as a tool
Notice the thoughts, but don't believe them. Research on thoughts as tools primarily focuses on cognitive tools. We can utilize these active mechanisms to navigate situations, solve problems, regulate emotions, and achieve goals.
A 2023 study found that understanding others' thoughts and perspectives, often called the theory of mind, is a crucial social tool for navigating interpersonal relationships effectively.
7. Worry decreases our performance
Worrying takes us out of the present, where we will perform our best, with a clearer presence of mind. Worrying about the future and the past doesn't matter, because the present is the only thing that exists.
8. When we believe made-up ideas in our heads, we sabotage ourselves
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When we feel the stress of those thoughts, we are sabotaging ourselves and blocking our brilliance. You're worrying so much that you're making up more problems, adding to your worry. Believing made-up ideas in our heads often involves concepts like the illusory truth effect, where repeated exposure to a statement, even if false, can make it seem more believable, and cognitive biases like confirmation bias.
A 2021 study found this leads individuals to prioritize information supporting their beliefs, even if contradictory evidence exists. When faced with information that contradicts a firmly held belief, individuals may experience cognitive dissonance, often leading them to rationalize or dismiss the conflicting information to maintain their existing belief.
9. Worry is like putting up a thick black tarp to protect your plants when all they needed was sunlight
Don't block what you don't know.
10. If worrying makes you feel worse, try to redirect your thoughts
Spend your time making yourself feel happy, not stressed. Excessive worrying can significantly worsen one's emotional state, leading to increased negative emotions, heightened anxiety, and a general feeling of distress. A 2020 study demonstrated that worry is directly linked to more extraordinary concurrent negative emotions, meaning that the more one worries, the worse one tends to feel emotional.
11. The alternative to worry is to be present
Learn how to live in the moment — it's pure peace.
12. When we let go of the need to worry, we raise our intelligence
Because we are most wise when our minds are still, and we allow in the brilliance of Universal thought.
13. When you feel inclined to worry, replace those thoughts with something else
Swap bleak thoughts with either slow breathing, or taking action, even if it is in one small way, like crossing a single item off a to-do list.
14. Without the burden of worry, you will succeed three times as fast
You're the only one standing in your way.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient. He's the author of the Mastery Den newsletter, which helps people triple their productivity.