By Maxime Lagacé
Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page.
55% of Americans are stressed.
But most people don’t understand what stress is and why they are stressed.
That’s why I’ve gathered 90 of the best stress quotes to help you relax.
And the ultimate goal is this:
To make you feel at ease and peaceful in today’s modern world.
After all, stress is natural, and we must learn to live with it.
You’ll discover quotes by Einstein, Lao Tzu, Gandhi, Buddha, and many more.
Enjoy!
Top 10 Stress Quotes
When we don’t choose what’s important, everything seems important. Maxime Lagacé
Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it. Kahlil Gibran
A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness. Albert Einstein
Today I refuse to stress myself out about things I cannot control or change. Mel Robbins
Stress is caused by being “here” but wanting to be “there”. Eckhart Tolle
The need for certainty is the greatest disease the mind faces. Robert Greene
Society has sold you the greatest of lies, that the goal of life is to become “happy.” This one chase has cost you your life. Kapil Gupta
Stress and confusion come from being busy. Peace and clarity come from slowing down and stilling your waters. Maxime Lagacé
Every once in a while, do you just like to take your time with what you’re doing? Fred Rogers
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. Anne Lamott
More Quotes About Stress
Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Natalie Goldberg
Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry – all forms of fear – are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Eckhart Tolle
When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves. Jack Kornfield
The high value put upon every minute of time, the idea of hurry-hurry as the most important objective of living, is unquestionably the most dangerous enemy of joy. Hermann Hesse
The anxiety of worry is almost always worse than the actual consequences. Stop worrying and start doing. James Clear
The solution is often a good dose of indifference. Maxime Lagacé
90% of what you’re stressing about right now won’t even matter a year from now. Take a deep breath. Mel Robbins
Throw out the excess, clean up the mess, say no to stress, and live with less. Joshua Becker
Don’t spin your wheels trying to get everything done. Focus on getting the right things done instead. Greg McKeown
Stress, anxiety and depression are caused when we are living to please others. Paulo Coelho
Stress is not created by the events in your life, but by your reaction to them. James Pierce
Daily news and sugar confuse our system in the same manner. Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Antifragile, Amazon book)
Our civilization, which is lost in doing, knows nothing of Being. It asks: being? What do you do with it?” Eckhart Tolle
Only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter. Greg McKeown (Essentialism, Amazon book)
When a situation is within your control, take action. When a situation is outside your control, make preparations. James Clear
Do not seek to have everything that happens happen as you wish, but wish for everything to happen as it actually does happen, and your life will be serene. Epictetus
An ignorant state, stress is. Yoda
If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. Marcus Aurelius
The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another. William James
In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers. Fred Rogers
Do not look for a sanctuary in anyone except your self. Buddha
There is more to life than increasing its speed. Mahatma Gandhi
Don’t try to force anything. Let life be a deep let-go. God opens millions of flowers every day without forcing their buds. Osho
Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself. Hermann Hesse
You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside. Wayne Dyer
The truth is that there is no actual stress or anxiety in the world; it’s your thoughts that create these false beliefs. You can’t package stress, touch it, or see it. There are only people engaged in stressful thinking. Wayne Dyer
A certain amount of doing nothing, and stopping rushing around, would cool everything. Alan Watts
If you really want to escape the things that harass you, what you’re needing is not to be in a different place but to be a different person. Seneca
Self-command is the main elegance. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Our root is quietude. Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching, Amazon book)
This too shall pass. Thibaut
Let go of what may come. Tilopa
Related
- 100 Mental Health Quotes To Comfort, Encourage, Inspire
- 79 Positive Quotes To Uplift Yourselff
- 79 Optimism Quotes To Improve Your Mood (With Images)
You may have a million desires to be in other places, doing other things, but you are not there, you are here. Zen proverb
They are rushed and busy. You are calm and stready. Maxime Lagacé
Problems only exist in the human mind. Anthony de Mello
Stop thinking, and end your problems. Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching)
When we stop opposing reality, action becomes simple, fluid, kind, and fearless. Byron Katie
You don’t always have to have something to do. Don’t rush. Conserve some of your resources for yourself. Iyanla Vanzant
You know you’re becoming wise when you care more about what you control and less about what you don’t. Maxime Lagacé
You are far from the only nervous person in the room. Thibaut
We should always be asking ourselves: “Is this something that is, or is not, in my control?” Epictetus
Comfort makes you weaker. We need some variability, some stressors. Not too much, but just enough. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
It is not external events themselves that cause us distress, but the way in which we think about them…It is our attitudes and reactions that give us trouble. We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them. Epictetus
Renew yourself completely every day; do it again, and again, and forever again. Zen proverb
If you feel lost… sit down, close your eyes, breathe, put your hands on your heart, repeat forever. Courtney Carver
Stress exists only in your mind. Peace exists only in the acceptance of the present moment. Maxime Lagacé
Let go of what has passed. Let go of what may come. Let go of what is happening now. Don’t try to figure anything out. Don’t try to make anything happen. Relax, right now, and rest. Tilopa
When you need to calm down… Breathe in for 5 counts. Hold for 5 counts. Breathe out for 5 counts. Hold for 5 counts. Repeat the cycle 2 more times. Gabby Bernstein
Observe a stressful thought. Notice how your shoulders tense, your stomach tightens, you hold your breath. Keep watching that same thought. Don’t push it away, instead change your reaction to it. Breathe deeply, let go, relax your body. You’re okay. It’s just a thought. Breathe. Jason Garner
Stop doing. Start being. It begins with a single thought and a simple statement – I AM. Iyanla Vanzant
Related: 16 Simple Ways to Relieve Stress (healthline.com)
Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Lao Tzu
When you feel overwhelmed, start eliminating all the non-essential things from your life. Clarity brings calm. Darius Foroux
Restore your attention or bring it to a new level by dramatically slowing down whatever you’re doing. Sharon Salzberg
Finding a moment to sit and just do nothing can be very healing, transforming, and nourishing. Thich Nhat Hanh
Sometimes it’s better to react with no reaction. Unknown
The difficulty of describing things for Western ears is that people in a hurry cannot feel. Alan Watts
Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it. Lily Tomlin
Embrace stress, don’t avoid it. Shane Parrish
Every kind of fear grows worse by not being looked at. Bertrand Russell (The Conquest of Happiness, Amazon book)
Awareness is inherently pure like the empty sky. Stress, annoyance, and anger can temporarily occupy its space but can never pollute it. Haemin Sunim
The modern struggle: Lone individuals summoning inhuman willpower, fasting, meditating, and exercising, up against armies of scientists and statisticians weaponizing abundant food, screens, and medicine into junk food, clickbait news, infinite porn, endless games and addictive drugs. Naval Ravikant
Human life is gradually turning from a struggle against suffering into a struggle against pleasure. Gurwinder Bhogal
Stress is a state of generalized vulnerability. Luca Dellanna
How do you beat your inner turmoil? You can’t beat it, you can only stop creating it. Thibaut
The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Epictetus
Make peace with the present moment. Eckhart Tolle
Flow with whatever happens and let your mind be free. Zhuangzi
The river becomes calm when it reaches the ocean. Find your ocean each day. Maxime Lagacé
Don’t rush. It’s wiser to go slowly in the right direction than fast in the wrong one. Maxime Lagacé
People work out, they stress their body, and their body gets stronger from stress. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Feeling irritated, restless, afraid, and hopeless is a reminder to listen more carefully. It’s a reminder to stop talking; watch and listen. Pema Chödrön
What you want is to develop a sustainable habit: a stress-free approach to reducing your stress. Greg McKeown
It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it. Hans Selye
Remember that stress doesn’t come from what’s going on in your life. It comes from your thoughts about what’s going on in your life. Andrew J. Bernstein
No desires, no goal, no seeking, no thoughts, neither obtaining, nor rejecting, nor grasping, nor letting go, being free. Taisen Deshimaru
Stress happens when something you care about is at stake. It’s not a sign to run away – it’s a sign to step forward. Kelly McGonigal (The Upside of Stress, Amazon book)
In general, obstacles force your mind to focus and find ways around them. They heighten your mental powers and should be welcomed. Robert Greene
We all want comfort and fulfillment. But fulfillment demands progress, and progress is uncomfortable. Decide which one is higher on your values list, and be willing to pay the price. Johnny Uzan
If you understood the nature of your problem, you wouldn’t have one. Byron Katie
Related: Meditation for Stress (headspace.com)
Conclusion
When you become a lover of what is, the war is over. Byron Katie
Visual About Stress
You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you will feel and do about what happens to you. Viktor Frankl
Key Takeaways
- Stress is fine and natural. Instead of fighting it, learn to cope with it (cdc.gov).
- Want 2 simple mindsets for less stress?
- Try to accept more
- Try to let go more
- Remember: it’s useless to stress about things we don’t control.
- Your ego wants to be busy, but your soul needs simplicity.
- Quick 5-minute actions for less stress:
Further Readings
- Topic: Sadness And Mental Health
- 73 Sad Quotes To Bring Relief
- Headspace | Mini Meditation | Let Go of Stress (1-minute YouTube video)
- How To Improve Your Mental Health
I hope you feel more relaxed with these inspiring stress quotes. If you did, please share them with a friend today!
Are you feeling stressed or calm right now? What’s your favorite stress quote? And remember: words can transform your life, if you find the right ones.
Video For Stress Relief
Relax Music For Stress Relief (1 HOUR – With Beautiful Zen Quotes)
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