There are a lot of things to stress about in life. Finances, relationships, health, time, family, etc… Depending on what’s going on in your life I am sure you could list 100 more things, I know I could. But here are two things you can stop getting stressed about immediately: the Weather, and Traffic.

The weather and traffic are two things that you pretty much have no control over. Yet we complain about it all the time! Do you notice how the weather and traffic are frequently the topic of conversation in small talk. Apparently it’s the only relatable factor that people can connect on (I say that with a sarcastic undertone). We spend a lot of our energy bitching about these two topics even though there is nothing we can do about them. Seems like a lot of wasted negative energy doesn’t it?

Here is the the thing about stress. We know from both an Eastern and Western medical perspective that stress plays a huge role on our health. I would argue that stress is the leading cause of all disease. And even though we are living in a time of more conveniences then we’ve ever experienced before, we are also more stressed out then ever before. With the rising of the technology age we have seen a rise in depression, ADD, and Adrenal Fatigue as well. Our bodies and minds are over stimulated enough, and the last thing we need to do is stress about something that we have no control over.

This past week it rained every day all day. Living in Florida I have been spoiled with beautiful sunshiny days. However, during hurricane season it’s common to have these rainy weeks where there is no going to the beach, flooded roads, and extra frizzy hair. In the past I would have bitched and complained about the weather, but this time I didn’t let it get me down. In fact I even went running in the pouring rain and liked it. I stopped stressing about it and just accepted it. When I accepted it I was also able to see the good in it. For one I am a lot more productive when it’s raining cause I am not tempted to run to the beach whenever the sun is out. It was also a great time to do some shopping or go out to restaurants because everything was empty. I ended up loving the rainy week and not feeling stressed about it all. This got me thinking of how I could apply this same method to traffic. I am normally the biggest complainer when it comes to traffic (particularly when it comes to Florida drivers). I don’t think a day has gone by where I haven’t gotten annoyed while driving. And it is so ridiculously pointless! I’ve wasted so much energy getting upset over traffic and what for? Did I get to where I was going any faster? Of course not. But I continually let myself get worked up over it anyway. Bottom line when it comes to weather and traffic it is what it is.

“When I argue with reality I lose….but only 100% of the time.” ~Byron Katie

That quote says it all. Arguing with reality is a losing game. All the bitching in the world isn’t going to make the sun come out or make the car in front of you move any faster. Today while I was driving and got stuck behind a slow poke I asked myself is this worth getting stressed about? I decided it wasn’t and just turned up the stereo and enjoyed the CD I was listening to. So maybe I got to where I wanted to go 5 minutes later then normal, but at least I was in a good mood when I got there.

I know that this might be easier said then done so set yourself up for a success. Take time right now to think of all the things you like about rainy or snowy days. If you are planning for an outdoor activity have an indoor back up plan that you’ll be just as happy with. When you are driving have your car stocked with your favorite cd’s or audio books. If you get in a real jam take that time to catch up with a friend on your cell (practice smart phone safety please, no texting or checking email). Or maybe just take that time to get quiet and practice some deep breathing. One thing I’ve started to do is to make the effort to leave 5 minutes earlier. This way I don’t feel the stress of being late and the pressure to rush while driving. Am I perfect at this yet? Far from it! But I am getting there.

Now you don’t have to get to a place where you are pretending to be happy about the crappy weather or traffic jam. You just need to get to a neutral place. When you accept it and recognize that there is nothing you can do to change it you will bring yourself to a more relaxed placed. Like I said before there are a lot of things in life to be stressed about. But being stressed about what you can’t control is not only a waste of energy, but is damaging to your body. Every time you let yourself get to a stressed state your body starts pumping out cortisol (the stress hormone). And while cortisol has it’s purpose in the body it is way overused right now and can lead to anxiety, insomnia, depression, fatigue, and heart disease. Are you ever going to eliminate stress from your life? No. But at least you can decide what you choose to stress about. Go ahead and stress about things you can do something about, whether it relates to your business, family, relationships, etc…But if there is nothing you can do about it, leave it be, and don’t waste your precious energy. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.