Teaching
Much stress comes from taking personal ownership of outcomes that were never fully ours to determine.
Original Text
योगः कर्मसु कौशलम्
Transliteration: Yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam
Meaning
The Bhagavad Gita's central instruction — act without attachment to results — is the oldest known teaching on stress management. The practitioner takes responsibility for their own effort and conduct, then releases ownership of the outcome. This is not indifference; it is clarity about where agency actually ends.
Practical Application
List the three things currently causing you the most stress. For each one, separate: what is within your control and what is not. On the 'not in control' side, practise this sentence: 'I have done what I can; the rest is not mine to carry.' Say it until you feel the weight shift.
Source
Bhagavad Gita, BG 2.50
Attributed to: Vyasa