How to Stop Worrying about Things that don’t Matter.

Buddhists teach that worry is useless.

They believe that some things are out of our , so worrying about them causes unnecessary stress.

“Worry is useless” is a mantra I’ve always lived by. I acknowledge the silliness of worrying about something that might turn out completely differently than what I have imagined. I’ve been there and I’ve laughed at myself more times than I care to remember.

The Buddhist in me knows that sometimes I worry a little too much, which is indeed a form of suffering. I set unrealistic expectations, fantasize about unattainable outcomes, and raise my cortisol levels for nothing.

Because the truth is worry feels like a built-in function that is always present within my nervous system. Turning it off is often impossible, and I admit that it has run in my family for many generations.

Whether I have inherited it or developed it due to my life experiences, I acknowledge the emotional, mental, and physical pain it creates. Admiring the Buddhist concept of worry is much harder than putting it into practice.

Believe it or not, I’ve always known how to manage my anxiety about the big things. But it’s the little things that me the most — the ones that I instinctively know are…