Obama on Stress: ‘I Try Not to Get too High When Things Are Going Well’

During a town hall in Jamaica, President Obama was asked by one of the young people attending how he dealt with so much stress in his job as president of the United States.

“One thing that I’ve always had which has served me well is a pretty good temperament,” Obama explained, attributing it to growing up in Hawaii.

“But I try not to get too high when things are going well, so that I don’t get too low when things are going badly,” he said, adding that throughout his time as president he tries to “keep a long view of how the process of social change takes place.”

Obama admitted that as he grew older he worried less about the day to day problems, giving advice to his own daughters that “this too shall pass.”

He advised that it was important “not to be discouraged or overly impressed with yourself on a day to day basis.” He also reminded the young people that he exercised in the morning, which helped him deal with stress.