(Photo courtesy of Joseph Corl)
Worry is like a noisy roommate that won’t move out. It lurks in the back of your mind, blowing small issues out of proportion and making your problems feel heavier than they really are. The longer you let it sit there, the louder it gets, until even the smallest tasks feel monumental. But here’s the good news: you can show that pesky roommate the door with one simple strategy—taking small steps of action. I am a big believer in the power of action in taming worry and anxiety; and it’s great to start small!
Sounds almost too simple, right? But that’s exactly why it works. Think about it: when you’re overwhelmed by everything you have to do, your natural instinct might be to sit there and overthink every possibility. But the truth is, worry thrives on inaction. It loves indecision, stagnation, and the feeling of being stuck. On the other hand, action—no matter how small—sends worry running for the hills.
Let’s say you’ve been avoiding a difficult conversation. You’ve replayed every possible outcome in your head so many times that just thinking about it gives you a stomachache. What if they react badly? What if you say the wrong thing? But once you finally pick up the phone and start talking, something magical happens: most of that anxiety starts to evaporate. Why? Because taking that first step shifts you out of your head and into the present moment. The conversation that seemed like Mount Everest turns out to be, well… just a conversation.
This is the surprising impact of small steps. They don’t solve everything instantly, but they do something powerful—they create momentum. Momentum is your secret weapon against worry because it pulls you out of your spiral of “what ifs” and puts you into a place of “what now?” And when you’re focused on what you can do right now, worry has less room to breathe.
Imagine your to-do list has been giving you side-eye for days. You’ve been staring at it, feeling guilty for not starting, and the guilt only makes you want to procrastinate more. But here’s where the magic happens: instead of trying to tackle everything at once, just do one thing. It doesn’t matter what—respond to that email, take out the trash, or schedule that appointment. The moment you cross off one item, you feel an instant sense of relief. It’s like letting a little air out of a balloon that’s been ready to burst. And suddenly, the rest of the list feels more manageable.
That’s because small steps change your mindset. They build a quiet sense of accomplishment that grows with every action you take. Each small victory tells your brain, “Hey, I can do this.” It’s like building a bridge over a chasm of worry, one plank at a time. With each plank, the gap between where you are and where you want to be gets a little narrower.
The real secret here? When you take small steps, you’re not just tackling tasks—you’re tackling the fear of the tasks. You’re showing yourself that even if you can’t control everything, you can at least control what you do next. That’s incredibly empowering.
Anxiety loves to keep you stuck, but action—no matter how tiny—creates freedom. So, the next time you’re bogged down by stress, try this: stop thinking and just move. Take a small, simple step forward. Don’t worry about the size of the step or whether it’ll fix everything. Just act. Send that one email. Have that quick conversation. Wash a single dish.
Once you start, you’ll notice something almost magical happens: that looming cloud of worry begins to lift. Because the antidote to worry isn’t wishing it away—it’s taking the tiniest step forward and letting that momentum carry you somewhere new.
So, what’s your next small step?
Bob Fagan has just published “The Little Book of Questions That Matter — A Lifetime Companion For Transforming Your Life.” It is available on Amazon.
