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how do i stop worrying about the things that don't matter?

25 Answers
Last Updated: 07/06/2021 at 11:19am
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Danielle Gonzales, PsyD

Psychologist

Hello! My name is Dani, I am a Psychologist and registered Psych Assistant. I have a passion for helping a different types of clients from all diverse backgrounds!

Top Rated Answers
Soulreallymatterstome
February 4th, 2015 1:10pm
Sometimes thoughts grow much bigger than the original problem or situation. Once you start building thoughts on fears it takes on a life of its own. Scenarios play out that probably will never happen and your body has no idea if what you are thinking is true or not and reacts in ways that are toxic to your body. I think that the first thing to do is break the cycle when you see you are obsessing about something. Takes some practice but in time you learn to see when crazy is coming! An old trick I learned and still use is to put a rubber band on my wrist and snap it whenever I find myself swimming through crazy. I get up, walk around and find someone that will help me reason things out. Sharing your thoughts rather than worrying about things will help to sort out what matters and what does not matter. Tell crazy to take the day off and then you will be able to calm your mind.
Anonymous
June 17th, 2015 5:10pm
If you are worrying about them then they usually do matter, to you. I have experienced this much, and feel that it can't be stopped. Once you find things that matter more, these old unimportant things should stop bothering you.
bountifulWillow67
October 26th, 2015 2:12am
Try to focus on things that you can actually work on. Realizing that sometimes there is no changing things.
silverSound86
September 29th, 2015 5:33pm
My brain can only hold one thought at a given point of time. The best way to stop myself from worrying about things that don't matter is to distract my mind by involving myself in an activity. Pursuing a hobby, or doing something else that interests me or learn something...just interrupts me from worrying, and over a period of time those worrying thoughts get replaced with more positive and affirmative thoughts.
Anonymous
June 4th, 2015 11:34pm
How I stop worrying about things that don't matter. That's the real question isn't it? How do you decide what doesn't matter? It really is a personal thing. Something that matters so much to you, might not affect someone else. So the first thing is, it's up to you to decide what matters to you. After you decide that, then you can figure out what doesn't matter. I write down what is worrying me about the thing. Why is it worrying me? Is it logical to be worried about this thing? What could happen if the thing you are worried about does happen? I find that helps me to stop worrying about the things that aren't worth worrying about.
arabayuh
June 22nd, 2015 5:16pm
Maybe instead of thinking about "What if..", start thinking about "What can I make happen?"
amazingBreeze17
February 16th, 2015 6:56am
It helps to write a list of the fears that hold you bac, look at them objectively and then refute them, one by one. When you do that, you will realize that fears and worries are just assumptions, that are stopping you from living the way you really want. So fight the fear, fight the worry. The best way to do that is to just take action in the direct opposition of your fears.
Anonymous
June 17th, 2015 4:37am
Just try to keep in mind that worrying doesn't ever help or solve anything. It only is destructive to yourself.
FoxInTheBox
December 21st, 2015 8:11am
Keep telling yourself that the particular thing does not matter. It's mostly your mind playing tricks with you, making you conscious about it. But well, you know it doesn't matter, right? Just squeeze in a bit of confidence, and keep telling yourself that! :)
majesticLight70
August 16th, 2016 2:33pm
Worrying about things is a natural part of us, we worry about little things and sometimes big things. The question could be "how do i manage worrying about things so i can deal with them". There is no right answer as we are all individuals, but recognising how things can affect us is a very good start. Think to yourself "why am i worrying about this".. if you can work out the answer then it will be a step towards the right direction. Sometimes its good to worry about things, if you are struggling with this feeling it would be good to make a list of things worrying you. Then work from it and ask yourself "what can i do to distract myself from these worries". Distractions are a good technique, they can help switch your mind off for a while. Hopefully i have been able to help in some way. Everyone at 7 Cups is always here to listen!
Chiyoko
August 16th, 2016 10:30pm
Focus on more important things to get your mind off them. I know its hard, I constantly think about things that don't matter but I try to focus on things that are now in my life.
EmmaKay22
July 8th, 2019 1:51pm
First remember to breathe. Second understand that our human minds want to protect us and need to be gently reminded to quiet down. It is natural for our thoughts to run wild, but when we are mindful of what thoughts don’t serve us, we can manage better. If a thought keeps popping up throughout the day, ask yourself is this relevant to my life right now? If not, then say, not going there right now and smile because you just intervened an unnecessary worry. Give yourself time to practice this and be kind to yourself when your mind wanders where you prefer it didn’t. After all, you are only human. I do love affirmations too. Such as, I am living my best life. Try that when you notice your mind goes to that place you don’t prefer. Hope this helps.
Jeevan
April 24th, 2015 9:08pm
First, if we are worried about something, it's because it does matter. The important thing is to go to the root of why I feel hurt.
RewindTheClock
April 24th, 2015 1:51pm
Take a deep breath and find something to do to get your mind off it (i.e. take a nature walk or do a craft activity).
Anonymous
July 22nd, 2020 12:36am
I can not give you advice on what to do, as only you know what is best for you in your life. With that in mind, I actually may have experienced a similar situation as yours. I used to worry about everything, even the little things. I felt I wasn't in control. How I came to stop, or at least reduce this was a process. Over time I realize that I shouldn't stress the small things, as they aren't in my control most of the time. I learnt to let go. What if a friend, or maybe a sibling, was constantly worrying about everything? What would you tell them? Think of ways you could establish serenity and calm into your life and implement them little by little :)
kindBlueberry8758
August 31st, 2020 4:04pm
When you are worrying about something that doesn't matter to you take a moment to pause. Collect your thoughts and try to understand why you are feeling worried in that moment. After you discover why you are feeling that way you should take a moment to celebrate. That is a big victory. I have been I similar situations, I understand it can be stressful and a bit overwhelming at times. It is wonderful that you decided to reach out. That is another victory to celebrate! I hope that this helps in some way. As always our chats are open.
MidnightRaven999
August 7th, 2018 6:11pm
I always use this method to figure out if I should try and let go of something I'm worrying about. I ask myself "can i do something to change the thing I'm worrying about right now?" If the answer is yes, then there's no need to worry because I can take actions that will help relieve my worry, and if the answers no, then that means whatever I'm worried about is out of my hands, so worrying about it is kinda useless, because no matter how much I worry, nothing about the situation is going to change.
warmTree4515
July 6th, 2021 11:19am
Hi, I hope you are feeling good today. People usually get confused by these thoughts. When we don't know answers to certain questions they make us worry. But it's easier to do if we find a way to deal with them. Tell me what are things you think which matter to you and if you rank them in order from top to bottom, you'll know what are things that actually matter and what are things you should stop worrying about. In this way, you can stop worry by seeing things that are in the bottom of all the important stuff.
Anonymous
October 11th, 2016 9:23pm
i try to do brething excercises and then think about the things that are not in my hands to get fixed.
Anonymous
August 9th, 2016 9:25pm
You can actually do that by getting involved into other innovative things which will be beneficial for you and frm which you can learn from this will keep you busy and engaged in other things which will have a positive result
Ashiya
June 21st, 2016 6:49am
Try to work on a mindset of your current and what you'd like to focus on in the present or future. This can help with distracting yourself from things that aren't relevant to you as of now.
gentleRainbow43
November 24th, 2015 1:22am
You look at what is good in your life focus on that and remember it may not be prefect but it could be worse
ArcticFox667
October 24th, 2017 3:17pm
Try to examine the things you are worried about. Is it an opinion of someone? Is it worrying for a school assignment? Worrying about peoples opinions is many times unnecessary. But at times worrying about important things is needed.
jtmort1988
June 27th, 2015 11:43am
When it comes to the world of anxiety things that typically don't matter DO MATTER to the person experiencing the anxiety. The worst part living with anxiety is unexpected events that disrupt your routine. Anxiety, as a whole, is irrational thought process...CHALLENGE those thoughts by replacing negative thoughts with a positive outcome.
RoseG16
April 4th, 2015 3:34am
We all have worries and concerns in life. The best thing you can do is talk through your problems and worries. Sometimes talking to others about it can give you clarity on how to best resolve a situation.