Work doesn't wear you down. Worry does.

What it means

Hard work tires the body, but anxiety drains the whole person. Most exhaustion comes from fretting, not from doing. Do the work and let go of the worry.

The source

"Work doesn't wear you down. Worry does." This Russian proverb is recorded in Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Work — Idleness" («Работа — Праздность»). Translated from the original Russian by Spartan Surfers.

"Не работа сушит, а забота."

Original Russian, Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Work — Idleness" («Работа — Праздность»). Text read at ru.wikisource.org.

Who said it

Proverbs of the world (Every age). Sayings from the Latin, Greek, Norse, Japanese, Chinese and more, each traced to an old source in its own language.

Questions

What does "Work doesn't wear you down. Worry does." mean?

Hard work tires the body, but anxiety drains the whole person. Most exhaustion comes from fretting, not from doing. Do the work and let go of the worry.

Who said "Work doesn't wear you down. Worry does."?

Russian proverb. Source: Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Work — Idleness" («Работа — Праздность»).

What is the original Russian?

Не работа сушит, а забота. Translated from the original Russian by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Work doesn't wear you down. Worry does." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Work doesn't wear you down. Worry does." (Russian proverb, Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Work — Idleness" («Работа — Праздность»), translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/work-doesnt-wear-you-down-worry-does