How to Stop Worrying: The Hidden Cost of Anxiety

Why Worry Rarely Solves Tomorrow's Problems—But Always Steals Today's Happiness

Four timeless quotes reveal why peace of mind is a choice worth making.

Carpe Diem: Don't Pay Interest on Problems That Haven't Happened

"Worry is interest paid on trouble before it comes due," observed writer William Ralph Inge. It's one of the most accurate descriptions of anxiety ever written. Worry rarely changes tomorrow—it simply steals today. As Jeff Bezos puts it, "Stress comes from ignoring things you shouldn't be ignoring." In other words, solve the problems you can solve, and stop inventing the ones you can't.

The rest deserves a smile. Howard Schultz reminds us, "Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia." And baseball legend Tommy Lasorda joked that he'd only worry about the weather if it snowed on his side of the field and not on the other team's. Most of what we worry about never happens anyway.

Happiness isn't the absence of problems—it's often the absence of unnecessary worry. Worry is a choice. So is peace of mind.

Choose not to worry.
Choose to be happy.
Be happy.