The Art of Making Small Problems Look Like Monsters

Why We Make Small Problems Look Like Monsters

How Our Mind Tricks Us into Stress and How to Stop It

Life is not always easy.

Sometimes, things go wrong.

A small mistake at work.

A cold reply from a friend.

A bill that we forgot to pay.

These are small things.

In a normal world, we should solve them and move on.

But for most of us, that’s not what happens.

We take a small problem.

And we turn it into a giant monster.

Psychologists call this "Catastrophizing."

I call it "The Overthinking Trap."

The Habit of Making Things Worse

Imagine you drop a glass of water.

It’s just a broken glass.

You can clean it in two minutes.

But your brain starts talking.

"Why am I so clumsy?"

I can't even hold a glass properly."

This is how my whole life is going."

"I am a failure."

Suddenly, a broken glass is no longer about water.

It becomes about your entire personality.

This is how we make things worse.

We take a level 1 problem.

And we give it level 10 energy.

The Science of the "Foggy Brain"

When we start overthinking, something happens inside our head.

Our brain thinks we are in a real battle.

It goes into "Fight or Flight" mode.

This is the mode our ancestors used when they saw a lion.

But there is no lion here.

It’s just a small problem.

However, the brain doesn't know the difference.

It shuts down the logical part of your mind.

The part that solves problems.

The part that stays calm.

It stays blocked.

Literally.

The Loop of Fear

When the logical brain is blocked, we become "Reactionary."

We don't think. We just react.

We make more mistakes.

We say things we don't mean.

We lose sleep.

And when we are tired, the problem looks even bigger.

It’s a circle.

A problem creates stress.

Stress creates overthinking.

Overthinking creates more problems.

And the circle never ends.

Most people spend their whole lives in this circle.

They feel trapped.

They feel like life is one big disaster.

But the disaster is often just in their perception.

How to Break the Circle

So, how do we stop this?

How do we see the world as it really is?

The first step is to Notice the Voice.

Next time you are stressed, stop for a second.

Listen to what you are saying to yourself.

Are you telling the truth?

Or are you telling a scary story?

Ask yourself: "Will this matter in five years?"

Most of the time, the answer is "No."

If it won't matter in five years, don't give it more than five minutes of worry.

The Power of "Looking Up"

Just like we discussed before, your direction matters.

When you look down at the problem, you feel defeated.

When you look back at the past, you feel guilty.

But when you look up, you see the bigger picture.

The sky is huge.

The world is vast.

Your problem is just a tiny dot in that big world.

Looking up helps the brain come out of "Fight" mode.

It tells your heart that you are safe.

It allows the logical brain to turn back on.

Taking the First Step

Don't try to solve the whole month in one day.

Don't try to fix your whole life in one night.

Just focus on the next five minutes.

What is the smallest thing you can do right now?

Maybe it's just drinking a glass of water.

Maybe it's just taking a deep breath.

When you take a small step, the "Monster" starts to shrink.

You realize it wasn't a monster at all.

It was just a shadow.

And shadows disappear when you bring in the light.

Final Thoughts for the Reader

Life will always have challenges.

You cannot stop the wind from blowing.

But you can stop yourself from building a storm inside your head.

Stop being your own worst enemy.

Start being your own best friend.

Look at your problems with clear eyes.

See them for what they are—not what you fear they might be.

The future is not as scary as your mind says it is.

The future is waiting for you to walk into it.

One calm step at a time.

Look up.

Breath in.

The fog is clearing.

And you are going to be just fine.