About this quote

Stress narrows what you notice until only problems fill the frame. Shifting your attention to small, real things around you breaks that hold and lightens the moment. Try a short, specific action: pause, pick one small thing that looks or feels good, and name it out loud. Do that every evening for a week and you'll have a clearer sense of what remains for you to rely on.

When to use it

• After a brutal day at the office, I stepped onto the balcony, looked at the sky, and remembered Anne Frank's line to calm down.
• The night before finals, I put my notes aside, stared at the green plant by my desk, and thought of that advice to steady myself.
• Waiting in the hospital lobby with my sister, I focused on the light on her hands and used the quote to keep my breathing steady.
• During a long run when I felt like quitting, I watched the sunlight on the pavement and repeated the idea to keep going.