How to Never Stress

There are two types of stress.

The first is the discomfort of being clueless about a new concept to learn or a task to solve.

The second comes from a shortage of time—when we need to finish something or learn quickly, and our future well-being hinges on how well we perform.

Usually, people avoid the first type only to end up trapped in the second. It’s a paradox that just breeds more stress. Many people live their lives this way.

One of the most common examples is studying for an exam at the last minute. It’s overwhelming and frustrating—too many unfamiliar concepts collide at once, and you’re stuck worrying about whether you’ll even remember them tomorrow.

This stress stems from wrestling with unfamiliar pieces and not knowing how to handle them. Compared to this the first type of stress hardly feels like stress at all, right ?

But there’s a simple tool to cut through it, one you’re probably familiar with—and it’s not just starting earlier.

It’s sleep.

You’ve likely noticed this: when you tackle a new problem, even under anxiety and stress, the next day, a few basic pieces fall into place. They feel simpler, and the more complex ones suddenly become clearer if you just revisit them.

That’s because those fresh concepts don’t feel so unfamiliar anymore. And that’s after just one night of sleep.

Now imagine if you started three nights ahead.

This applies to everything in life that brings stress—even repetitive tasks you don’t need to learn, like paying bills over and over. Doing something about it regularly and ahead of time builds familiarity with the task, which brings peace of mind.

Even in anxious or frightening situations, repeatedly taking action to solve personal tasks gives you control over your life. And your accomplished work settles in your mind.

It comes down to how many nights you can squeeze in between now and a dead line to become good at something and even enjoy doing the thing because of it.

When I think about taking onto a new problem now, I think of doing it ahead not to satisfy some standard or appear productive, but simply to become familiar and comfortable with the concept.

British writer Clive Lewis said: “You never know what you can do until you try, and very few try unless they have to.”