As introduced yesterday, this week discusses four interesting methods for short-term stress relief. 

One of the strangest characteristics of modern stress and anxiety is that much of it is focused on things that really are not all that dangerous. We easily overemphasize the magnitude and/or the likelihood of a potential future hazard. 

In such cases, the practice of letting go can be very useful. It’s best implemented through some simple questions: 

What is the worst that could happen?

Many times, some negative thinking can actually be quite helpful. Imagine the worst possible outcome. Will anyone die or get seriously injured? Will you end up on the street? Will the world stop spinning?

In the vast majority of cases, the answers to these questions are no, no and no. Just realizing that you will survive even the worst possible outcome can really help you let go of the stress. 

What are the chances?

If the worst possible outcome really can be something serious, the next question is about assessing the likelihood. In our modern society, we’re well insulated against most calamities, making the statistical likelihood of a very bad outcome very low. 

Terrible things reported on the news are often one in a million events that are unlikely to befall you even if you live 100 lifetimes. Correctly labeling a stressor as having an almost zero likelihood is a great way of letting go. 

What can I do?

Often, we find ourselves stressing about things we cannot do anything about. As discussed earlier, worry can be a very positive emotion when it can get you to take proactive action to prevent future troubles.

But if there genuinely is nothing you can do, letting go really is the only reasonable option. Realizing this can be very powerful. 

On the other hand, if you can actually do something about a genuine future threat, getting to work right away is just as effective. That will be tomorrow’s topic. See you then!