What Does the Saying "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" Mean?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenefits of This StrategyDrawbacks of This StrategyHow to Avoid Sweating the Small Stuff

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Benefits of This Strategy

Drawbacks of This Strategy

How to Avoid Sweating the Small Stuff

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“Don’t sweat the small stuff” is a phrase someone may have told you when you wereangry, annoyed, or worried about something. You may have wondered what it meant and what you’re supposed to do about it.

“Don’t sweat the small stuff” essentially means to not focus your energy on things that don’t hold significant importance in your life, saysSabrina Romanoff, PsyD, a clinical psychologist and professor at Yeshiva University.

These are some examples of little things that may upset you:

While these things can be upsetting, the phrase “Don’t sweat the small stuff” encourages you tolet them goand move on, rather than letting them bother you. The idea is that the time and energy spent worrying about minor things is usually disproportionate to the importance of those things in your life, explains Dr. Romanoff.

This article explores the pros and cons of following this strategy, as well as some steps that can help you practice it.

“Don’t Go to Bed Angry:” The Pros and Cons of This Practice

Below, Dr. Romanoff outlines some of the benefits of following this strategy.

Helps You Regulate Your Reaction to Stressors

Reduces Stress Levels

When you experience stress, there are biological changes in your body. For example, your levels of a stress hormone known as cortisol spike.Over time, thisrepeated stress reactioncan lead to adverse health effects including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, among many other health difficulties.

Keeps Your Focus on the Big Picture

We waste a significant amount of time and valuable energy feelingstressed, angry, or disappointed over annoyances that are inconsequential in the grand scheme of our lives.

Sabrina Romanoff, PsyDIf we were to put our minor annoyances into perspective, we would see how those reactions take away from being present with the important people in our lives, focusing on the things we value, and feeling grateful for all that we do have.

Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD

If we were to put our minor annoyances into perspective, we would see how those reactions take away from being present with the important people in our lives, focusing on the things we value, and feeling grateful for all that we do have.

However, sometimes this strategy can have drawbacks to it as well. Dr. Romanoff outlines them below.

Suppressing Your Feelings

However, the person may suppress their natural frustrations, needs, and preferences in the moment, in order to appear flexible and carefree. They may not set or enforce any personalboundaries, which can be detrimental to them.

Ignoring Important Issues

When you look closely at something minor that’s stressing you out, you may realize that that’s not really what’s bothering you.

Sabrina Romanoff, PsyDSometimes, the minor things that trigger us are representative of bigger insecurities, issues, or wounds.

Sometimes, the minor things that trigger us are representative of bigger insecurities, issues, or wounds.

When we find ourselves considerably overreacting to a situation, it’s rarely about the small inconvenience, and is actually about a deeper issue or wound that it is rubbing up against.

Dr. Romanoff suggests some steps you can take to let go of little things that may bother you:

Why You Should Keep a Stress Relief Journal

A Word From Verywell

The phrase “Don’t sweat the small stuff” encourages you to let go of things that aren’t important in the grand scheme of your life. Dr. Romanoff recommends this strategy because otherwise you may spend a lot of time and energy stressing over unimportant things. Instead, it can be helpful to appreciate the things you have going for you.

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: A review.EXCLI J. 2017;16:1057-1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480National Library of Medicine.Stress and your health.Briñol P, Gascó M, Petty RE, Horcajo J.Treating thoughts as material objects can increase or decrease their impact on evaluation.Psychol Sci. 2013;24(1):41-47. doi:10.1177/0956797612449176

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: A review.EXCLI J. 2017;16:1057-1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480National Library of Medicine.Stress and your health.Briñol P, Gascó M, Petty RE, Horcajo J.Treating thoughts as material objects can increase or decrease their impact on evaluation.Psychol Sci. 2013;24(1):41-47. doi:10.1177/0956797612449176

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: A review.EXCLI J. 2017;16:1057-1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480National Library of Medicine.Stress and your health.Briñol P, Gascó M, Petty RE, Horcajo J.Treating thoughts as material objects can increase or decrease their impact on evaluation.Psychol Sci. 2013;24(1):41-47. doi:10.1177/0956797612449176

Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: A review.EXCLI J. 2017;16:1057-1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480

National Library of Medicine.Stress and your health.

Briñol P, Gascó M, Petty RE, Horcajo J.Treating thoughts as material objects can increase or decrease their impact on evaluation.Psychol Sci. 2013;24(1):41-47. doi:10.1177/0956797612449176

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