Espousers of the No Sweat attribute rarely feel anxious about anything. They refuse to be preoccupied with what might go wrong and what might happen. Mostly, they are able to keep unpleasant and disturbing thoughts at bay, driven by their belief that worrying is not useful or efficient. At best, they acknowledge the worries that enter their head, but do not engage strongly with them. They prefer to return to focusing on what they are doing at that moment.

This more relaxed approach appears to be well earned and learned through the University of Life, because No Sweat espousers are more likely to be over 55 years of age. Tending to be men from higher income households, they like to maintain a peace of mind by letting go of trivialities. They do not waste time fretting about the small stuff. One reason they do not let small problems get out of control is that they do not let other people’s needs and demands influence them too much. For the majority of the time, life is fun. They are intrigued by the unknown, and have a need for openness in their lives.

Their ability to be flexible and to adapt sets the tone for their whole life. They are not dour people. Hard times are seen as challenges to face with a positive and cheerful demeanour. While others have a hard time making decisions and become crippled by potential negative outcomes, No Sweat espousers are more willing to experiment and to test out possible solutions.

Life is seen as an opportunity to chart their own course, whatever troubles or fortunes try to distract them. With an optimistic view of the future, No Sweat espousers like to focus on the effective path away from their current problems, rather than dwelling on how they got to this point in their lives; however, expectations are not set in stone. It is not about creating a specific future, it is more about having faith in their own abilities and being able to cope, even thrive, with whatever life throws at them. They accept uncertainty in their lives as a fact of life. To the No Sweat espouser, a life full of surprises and unexpected events is seen as exciting. Life’s difficulties are seen as challenges and opportunities to learn.

Rarely feeling sorry for themselves, they are self-reliant, free-thinking individuals who strive to create satisfying and meaningful lives that move beyond traditional measures of success. Such resilience means that they can feel centred, even when their circumstances change dramatically. Whether they live in a small home, a grand mansion, or a travelling caravan, they can feel at home anywhere. Symbols of success are not on their radar screen, because they do not worry about what other people think of them.