---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I try not to get depressed about stuff I…"
description: "\"I try not to get depressed about stuff I can't do anything about.\" — Sydney Pollack"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/sydney-pollack-2385_about_i-try-not-to-get-depressed-about-stuff-i_1747962.jpg"
---

#  I try not to get depressed about stuff I can't do anything…

![“I try not to get depressed about stuff I can't do anything about.” quote by Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/sydney-pollack-2385_about_i-try-not-to-get-depressed-about-stuff-i_1747962.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/sydney-pollack-2385_about_i-try-not-to-get-depressed-about-stuff-i_1747962.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/sydney-pollack-2385_about_i-try-not-to-get-depressed-about-stuff-i_1747962.jpg)

> “I try not to get depressed about stuff I can't do anything about.”

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Focus on what you can control; release worry over the uncontrollable to preserve mental health.

**In simple terms:** Don’t stress about things you can’t change; focus on what you can.

Key Takeaway

Practice acceptance and act on controllable matters.

Themes

mindfulness resilience control

Mood

calm practical encouraging

Type

self‑help reflective

When to use this quote

- daily routine
- career challenges
- health issues
- financial planning

Key Concepts

psychology self‑help stress management

Questions to Reflect On

- What small actions can you take on a stressful issue?
- How do you differentiate control from helplessness?

A Different Perspective

Over‑acceptance may lead to passivity; balance action with acceptance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Depressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depressed/)

## Related quotes

> [Sometimes I just think depression's one way of coping with the world. Like, some people get drunk, some people do drugs, some people get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-vizzini/sometimes-i-just-think-depression-s-one-way-of-coping-with-the-world-3/)

[Ned Vizzini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-vizzini/)

> [It's silly to be depressed by it. I mean one thinks of it like being alive in a box, one keeps forgetting to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/it-s-silly-to-be-depressed-by-it-i-mean-one-thinks-of-it-like-being/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [I get very anti-social, depressed and irritable with people. I don't have time for them. I can't make phone calls and stuff. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cowell/i-get-very-anti-social-depressed-and-irritable-with-people-i-don-t/)

[Simon Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-cowell/)

> [Most people do surprisingly poorly when dealing with a relative who is hurting, depressed, or anxious - we get defensive and try to solve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/most-people-do-surprisingly-poorly-when-dealing-with-a-relative-who/)

[David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/)

> [The marketing of anything is full of exploitation and lies and hype.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/the-marketing-of-anything-is-full-of-exploitation-and-lies-and-hype/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [Shooting stuff on horseback is more complicated and time consuming than anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-addy/shooting-stuff-on-horseback-is-more-complicated-and-time-consuming/)

[Mark Addy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-addy/)

> [The best stuff comes out when you're not making it for anything and you don't really know what you're making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fielding/the-best-stuff-comes-out-when-you-re-not-making-it-for-anything-and/)

[Noel Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fielding/)

> [I certainly know that on our first tour of America in 1968, David Crosby came to see us backstage at the Fillmore East in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-hayward/i-certainly-know-that-on-our-first-tour-of-america-in-1968-david/)

[Justin Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-hayward/)

> [Mate I'm eating the most rancid stuff, like frog legs and all sorts of weird stuff. Mate, I'll try anything once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-sebastian/mate-i-m-eating-the-most-rancid-stuff-like-frog-legs-and-all-sorts-of/)

[Guy Sebastian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-sebastian/)

> [Whenever anyone challenges anything, the powers that be try to paint them as extremists or radicals or whatever. And I think that's actually nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/whenever-anyone-challenges-anything-the-powers-that-be-try-to-paint/)

[Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/)

> [I try to be myself without being anything different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neymar/i-try-to-be-myself-without-being-anything-different/)

[Neymar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neymar/)

> [I've had fish come up on stage, and it's pretty disgusting. I try and discourage that. I discourage anything flying up on stage, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-claypool/i-ve-had-fish-come-up-on-stage-and-it-s-pretty-disgusting-i-try-and/)

[Les Claypool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-claypool/)

> [Gucci is a rapper that doesn't try and be anything he's not - he's straight up. Yeah, maybe it's ironic and all, but I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diplo/gucci-is-a-rapper-that-doesn-t-try-and-be-anything-he-s-not-he-s/)

[Diplo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diplo/)

> [The things that make me laugh are considered smart or whatever, I guess. But stuff that's self-consciously intelligent or self-consciously hip or cool, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-giraldo/the-things-that-make-me-laugh-are-considered-smart-or-whatever-i/)

[Greg Giraldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-giraldo/)

> [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

## More by Sydney Pollack

> [I didn't grow up thinking of movies as film, or art, but as movies, something to do on a Saturday afternoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-didn-t-grow-up-thinking-of-movies-as-film-or-art-but-as-movies/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [It's my job to motivate the audience to believe. I have to get them to suspend their judgment in favor of involvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/it-s-my-job-to-motivate-the-audience-to-believe-i-have-to-get-them-to/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [The marketing of anything is full of exploitation and lies and hype.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/the-marketing-of-anything-is-full-of-exploitation-and-lies-and-hype/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [Burt Lancaster was largely responsible for me becoming a director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/burt-lancaster-was-largely-responsible-for-me-becoming-a-director/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [People sense when you're pretending, when you're worried about your own ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/people-sense-when-you-re-pretending-when-you-re-worried-about-your/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [I personally have never made a movie in Hollywood, because I don't want to get up in my own bed and then go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-personally-have-never-made-a-movie-in-hollywood-because-i-don-t/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [Every film I've made has a kind of frustrated love story in the center of it. They were people who saw life from opposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/every-film-i-ve-made-has-a-kind-of-frustrated-love-story-in-the/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [You mustn't regret decisions that you make. Because the decisions are made out of your gut in a way and you have to stick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/you-mustn-t-regret-decisions-that-you-make-because-the-decisions-are/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [When you're shooting a feature that costs $200,000 a day with a crew of 250, you don't want accidents; you want to know exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/when-you-re-shooting-a-feature-that-costs-200-000-a-day-with-a-crew/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [What makes architecture extraordinary is that you're looking at the building, but your peripheral vision is also seeing how it fits within a space.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/what-makes-architecture-extraordinary-is-that-you-re-looking-at-the/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [I don't get nervous talking about my films, but if I'm the subject, it's hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-don-t-get-nervous-talking-about-my-films-but-if-i-m-the-subject-it/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [You are not an active creator of the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/you-are-not-an-active-creator-of-the-film/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [All films are political, whether they mean to be or not. Star Wars is political. As soon as you have conflict, which is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/all-films-are-political-whether-they-mean-to-be-or-not-star-wars-is/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [There will be people who are sensitive about seeing the American point of view presented as less than sympathetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/there-will-be-people-who-are-sensitive-about-seeing-the-american/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [I don't consider myself a teacher of moral and political positions. I don't want to be that. I can't help but have a point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-don-t-consider-myself-a-teacher-of-moral-and-political-positions-i/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

[Explore all 169 Sydney Pollack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

Browse all 26,122 About quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I try not to get depressed about stuff I can't do anything about.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sydney Pollack"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-try-not-to-get-depressed-about-stuff-i-can-t-do-anything-about/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-try-not-to-get-depressed-about-stuff-i-can-t-do-anything-about/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/sydney-pollack-2385_about_i-try-not-to-get-depressed-about-stuff-i_1747962.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/sydney-pollack-2385_about_i-try-not-to-get-depressed-about-stuff-i_1747962.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/sydney-pollack-2385_about_i-try-not-to-get-depressed-about-stuff-i_1747962.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I try not to get depressed about stuff I can't do anything about.” — Sydney Pollack",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Sydney Pollack",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I try not to get depressed...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-try-not-to-get-depressed-about-stuff-i-can-t-do-anything-about/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-try-not-to-get-depressed-about-stuff-i-can-t-do-anything-about/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
