Last updated: August 6, 2025 | Reading time: 8 minutes
Three years ago, I was sitting in my car outside a grocery store, gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white. My heart was pounding, my vision was blurry, and I genuinely thought I might be having a heart attack. We discuss How to Stop Anxiety Instantly in depth detail here.
The trigger? I thought I saw my ex-boyfriend with someone new.
Today, I can laugh about that moment. Not because it wasn’t real—that panic attack was absolutely terrifying. But because I discovered something that completely transformed my relationship with anxiety forever.
It wasn’t therapy (though that helps). It wasn’t medication (though that can too). It was four simple words that have been passed down through kings, slaves, philosophers, and everyday people like you and me for over a thousand years.
Those four words are: “This too shall pass.”
If you just rolled your eyes, I get it. I used to hate that phrase too. But stay with me—what I’m about to share will completely change how you understand these words and how they can work for you.
The Ancient Secret That Modern Psychology Confirms
Let me tell you a story that changed everything for me.
In ancient Persia, there lived a powerful king who had everything—wealth, armies, palaces—but he was miserable. His mood swings were legendary. When he won battles, he became arrogant and made terrible decisions. When he faced setbacks, he spiraled into such deep depression that it affected his entire kingdom.
Desperate for a solution, he summoned his wisest advisors with an impossible request:
“Find me something that will make me happy when I’m sad, and humble when I’m too proud. I’ll give you anything for it.”
After weeks of deliberation, they returned with a simple ring. Engraved inside were four words: “This too shall pass.”
The king read those words and immediately broke down—not from sadness, but from profound relief. He finally understood a truth that would guide him through every triumph and tragedy for the rest of his life.
This story has been retold for over a millennium because it captures something fundamental about human experience. Abraham Lincoln famously said this phrase contained “how much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!”
But here’s what most people don’t understand: this isn’t just ancient wisdom—it’s backed by cutting-edge neuroscience.
Why Your Anxious Brain Needs to Hear This
When you’re anxious, your brain essentially becomes a malfunctioning time machine. Instead of staying in the present moment, it projects you into imaginary futures where everything that could go wrong will go wrong.
Psychologists call this “catastrophic thinking” or “fortune telling.” Your nervous system responds to these imaginary threats as if they were happening right now, flooding your body with stress hormones and triggering the fight-or-flight response.
Here’s the crucial insight that changed everything for me: when you’re anxious, your brain tricks you into believing that the current state is permanent.
That panic attack in the parking lot? My brain wasn’t responding to what was actually happening (seeing someone who might have been my ex). It was responding to an entire fictional narrative: “She’s moved on, you’re pathetic, you’ll be alone forever, everyone will judge you…”
None of that was real. But my nervous system couldn’t tell the difference.
The Neuroscience Behind “This Too Shall Pass”
When you remind yourself that “this too shall pass,” something profound happens in your brain:
1. You Activate Your Prefrontal Cortex
This is the rational, thinking part of your brain. It helps calm down your amygdala—the alarm system that triggers anxiety and panic.
2. You Shift from Threat-Focus to Meta-Awareness
Instead of being caught up in the content of your anxious thoughts, you step back and observe them from a higher perspective.
3. You Reconnect with Your Track Record
Every emotion you’ve ever felt has eventually passed. Every crisis you’ve survived is now behind you. Every time you thought “I can’t handle this,” you’ve been wrong—because you’re still here.
Your success rate for getting through difficult days is 100%.
How to Use This Phrase Effectively (The Right Way vs. The Wrong Way)
Most people use “this too shall pass” like a magic eraser, trying to make their anxiety disappear instantly. That doesn’t work and often makes things worse.
Here’s the difference:
❌ The Wrong Way:
- Using it as denial: “I’m not really anxious, this too shall pass”
- Fighting the feeling: “This anxiety needs to go away RIGHT NOW”
- Bypassing the experience: “I shouldn’t feel this way”
✅ The Right Way:
- Accepting the present moment: “I’m feeling anxious right now, and that’s okay”
- Changing your relationship to the feeling: “This feeling will pass naturally”
- Connecting with wisdom: “I’ve felt this way before, and it always passes”
The Step-by-Step Method That Actually Works
Here’s exactly how I use this technique now, and how you can too:
Step 1: Notice Without Judging Simply observe: “I’m feeling anxious right now.” Don’t fight it or shame yourself for it.
Step 2: State the Truth Say to yourself (out loud if possible): “This feeling, this situation—this too shall pass.”
Step 3: Connect with Evidence Think of a specific time in the past when you felt this way and how that feeling eventually passed.
Step 4: Take One Small Action From this calmer place, ask yourself: “What’s one small step I can take right now?”
Real-World Applications
Before a job interview: “I’m nervous about this interview, and that shows I care. This nervousness will pass, and I’ll handle whatever happens.”
During a panic attack: “This is really intense right now, but I know panic attacks always end. My body is just trying to protect me. This too shall pass.”
Facing a difficult conversation: “This discomfort is temporary. The conversation will end, and I’ll have gotten through another hard thing.”
Dealing with heartbreak: “This pain feels overwhelming right now, and I know from experience that even the deepest emotional pain transforms over time. This too shall pass.”
The Deeper Truth That Will Set You Free
As I’ve practiced this phrase over the years, I’ve discovered something beautiful: it’s not just about anxiety.
Everything passes. The good stuff too.
This might sound depressing at first, but it’s actually incredibly liberating. When you truly understand that all experiences are temporary, you become:
- More grateful during good times (because you know they’re precious)
- More resilient during hard times (because you know they’re not permanent)
- More present in every moment (because you stop trying to control the uncontrollable)
I started using “this too shall pass” during panic attacks, but now I use it when I’m really happy too. It doesn’t make me less happy—it makes me more aware of how precious the moment is.
Your 7-Day Challenge
Here’s what I want you to do starting right now:
- Think of something that’s causing you anxiety today—maybe it’s a decision you need to make, a relationship issue, or just that general feeling that something’s not quite right.
- Say these words out loud: “This too shall pass.”
- Notice what happens in your body. Even if it’s just a tiny shift in your nervous system, that’s the beginning.
- For the next seven days, use this phrase every time you feel anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed. Not as a way to push the feeling away, but as a reminder of the truth.
- Keep track of what you notice. I bet you’ll be surprised by how powerful these simple words can be.
The Promise I Can Make You
If you commit to this practice, here’s what will happen:
- You’ll start to trust yourself more
- You’ll realize you’re stronger than your anxiety
- You’ll remember that you’re not broken—you’re human
- You’ll develop what I call “temporal wisdom”—a deep understanding that all experiences are part of life’s natural flow
A Final Thought
That Persian king wore his ring for the rest of his life. Not because it made his problems disappear, but because it reminded him of something we all forget sometimes:
You are not your anxiety. You are the one experiencing anxiety.
You are not your thoughts. You are the one observing your thoughts.
And you—the real you—is unshakeable.
Everything you’re facing right now, everything that feels too big, too scary, too permanent…
This too shall pass.
And you’re going to be more than okay.
Have you tried using “this too shall pass” during anxious moments? Share your experience in the comments below—your story might be exactly what someone else needs to hear today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What if my situation really is permanent (like chronic illness or loss)? A: The phrase doesn’t mean circumstances will change—it means your emotional response and relationship to those circumstances will evolve. Your capacity to handle difficult situations grows over time.
Q: How is this different from other anxiety techniques? A: Unlike breathing exercises or distraction methods, this technique changes your fundamental relationship with anxiety rather than trying to make it go away.
Q: Can I use this for other emotions besides anxiety? A: Absolutely! It works for anger, sadness, frustration, and even positive emotions like excitement or joy. It’s about developing wisdom around the temporary nature of all emotional states.
Q: How long does it take to work? A: You might notice a shift immediately, but like any skill, it gets more powerful with practice. Most people see significant changes within a few weeks of regular use.
If this post helped you, please share it with someone who might benefit. Sometimes the simplest truths are the most powerful.
