Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Try this “sixty-second inventory” during the day to help you identify  how you’re feeling and irritations that may be bothering you. Here’s what you do—pause several times during the day for a reality check, and ask yourself:

What am I feeling?

Actually pinpoint the feeling, such as being angry with your boss for not acknowledging the overtime hours you’ve put in lately, or being jealous of a friend who always seems to carve out time for a vacation when you can’t. If you have trouble identifying your feelings, call a friend and share what’s happening. She may be able to help. 

How am I holding on?

You’ve identified what’s bothering you, and maybe it’s appropriate to take an action, like telling your friend, “I’m disappointed that you forgot about my dinner party.” But once you do this, let it go. Look at the consequences if you don’t—it drains your energy so that you can’t create what you truly want for yourself. 

What am I grateful for in this moment?

To complete the letting-go process, reflect on what you have to be grateful for, right now. If you can’t think of anything, reflect on the things that you take for granted, such as a roof over your head or food in your refrigerator. Act as if there are a lot of things. (You know what will happen? That will become true for you.)

Adapted from Time for Me: Simple Pleasures for Women Who Do Too Much, by Helene Lerner, Simple Truths, 2015.