Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time, and the accompanying fear, worry, and uncertainty can be overwhelming. Though some nervous feelings are perfectly normal, and even energizing, too much anxiety can have a negative impact on our physical and mental well-being — as important a reason as any to practice cultivating peace in our inner and outer lives.
When those uneasy, anxious feelings arise, it’s helpful to pause, breathe, and remember that — as the saying goes — this too shall pass. In the meantime, these quotes can offer a fresh perspective, a moment of calm, and some hopeful reassurance.
You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.Maya Angelou
Anxiety’s like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you very far.Jodi Picoult, writer
Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.Benjamin Franklin
Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.Thích Nhất Hạnh
Don’t believe every worried thought you have. Worried thoughts are notoriously inaccurate.Renee Jain, author
Rule number one is, don't sweat the small stuff. Rule number two is, it's all small stuff.Robert Eliot, medical doctor and author
If you can't fly, run; if you can't run, walk; if you can't walk, crawl; but by all means keep moving.Martin Luther King Jr.
Whatever happens to you belongs to you. Make it yours. Feed it to yourself even if it feels impossible to swallow. Let it nurture you, because it will.Cheryl Strayed
Many of us feel stressed and overwhelmed not because we're taking on too much, but too little of what strengthens us.Marcus Buckingham, author
There must be quite a few things a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them.Sylvia Plath
You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.Jon Kabat-Zinn, author and professor
Photo credit: tomertu/ Shutterstock
About the Author
Nicole Villeneuve
Nicole is a writer, thrift store lover, and group-chat meme spammer based in Ontario, Canada.
