Why You Shouldn't Sweat The Small Stuff | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Why You Shouldn't Sweat The Small Stuff

How much will this matter one week from now?

159
Why You Shouldn't Sweat The Small Stuff
Pexels

This morning, I threw on my backpack, packed my meals, grabbed my gym bag, and drank my pre-workout drink. I trekked down to the garage to start my car so that I could get in a quick workout at the gym and afterward embark on the 90-minute commute to work. I hurriedly pressed my foot to the brake and touched the "Start" button on the dashboard to find my car battery dead as a doornail. My car won't start. My roommate isn't home. My family isn't near to help. My only option was to go back upstairs and call a towing company to jump my car for me. Negative thoughts instantly began to flood my mind: I won't have time to train. I won't make it to work on time. How could this happen? This is going to completely ruin my day.

For a few minutes, I panicked and scrambled around trying to find a solution to keep my day on schedule. When you're someone with a strong Type A personality, these types of occurrences can take a big toll on your mind. But sometimes, things happen that are out of your control. I took a deep breath, a big step back, and made the conscious decision to change my attitude and mindset on the situation. Next time something goes wrong in your life, here's what you should do:

There's simply no need to sweat the small stuff. Whatever's happening, it's not the end of all ends. It's going to be okay. The world is going to keep turning, and time is going to keep ticking. Any stress or anxiety you're feeling will fade as the clock continues to turn and things pass. Your worries are temporary and the small and conspicuous burdens (even though they might feel monumental at the moment) will work themselves out.


Try to keep perspective about your situation. Is whatever that is happening going to matter five days from now? If not, don't stress about it for more than five minutes. Instead of losing your mind over the things that are going wrong, focus on the things going right. Your car doesn't start like mine? Hey, at least we have cars. You're late to work, too? At least we have jobs.

When things go wrong, it can only ruin your day if you let it. Yes, when things that are out of your control throw a major wrench in your schedule, it's a huge inconvenience. Sometimes it just straight up sucks. But if you let those small inconveniences dictate how the rest of your day or week goes, you're the only person making yourself miserable. Dig yourself out of the ditch, make the choice to put a smile on your face, and continue on with your day as best you can. Take things as they come, and find acceptance in your less-than-perfect situation.


Next time something doesn't go as planned, take a step back and clear your mind from the stress and anxiety you initially feel. Think logically and make a game plan on how you'll move forward for the rest of the day. Contact the people you need to contact, reschedule what needs rescheduling, and pick yourself up. Stay moving and stay positive. It's just a bump in the road. It might be stormy now, but it can't rain forever.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

300603
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments