Next time you’re stressed, ask yourself this question

A pithy teaching from a psychology legend

Stress is a psychological phenomenon that can have profound physiological ramifications. Left unchecked, it can be a killer.

The good news is there are all sorts of ways to manage stress. Today, I’m sharing what I find to be a brilliant reframing question that you can drop into your mind when you’re stressed. I got this from the legendary Harvard psychology professor, Dr. Ellen Langer.

Next time you're stressed, ask yourself: Is this a tragedy—or an inconvenience? 

In my case, the things that are stressing me out are almost never tragedies. Creative blocks. A work conflict. A toothache. They’re all inconveniences, but when the history of the world is written, these dramas will not be included. 

Per Dr. Langer, this question—tragedy or inconvenience?—can calm you down, which both reduces the physiological damage from stress and also helps you more effectively handle whatever problem you’re facing.

Of course, sometimes your problems are genuine tragedies. In which case, learning how to not sweat the smaller stuff might help you husband your resources for when you really need them.

I’ve opened up a chat thread to discuss this episode. Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

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