Life Lessons: How to Stop Worrying about Tomorrow and What Happened Yesterday

Do you find it hard to let yourself relax and just live in the moment?

Figuring out how to stop worrying about tomorrow, and forget about what happened yesterday is not an easy task, but it’s definitely a worthwhile one.

Of course, it’s not about completely forgetting about the events that helped to shape your life (good or bad). It’s about learning to give yourself a break, and more importantly, discovering how to relax.

The key to doing this, is discovering ways to help you learn to live in the moment; not in the past that is dead and gone, or in the future that has yet to be determined, but in the here and now.

Would you like to know how you can start shaking some of those anxieties you may be feeling, and have a little more peace of mind? Keep reading, and I’ll share with you something that I learned.

Your Feelings are Valid

Before we talk about some effective ways to keep your mind on a positive track, it’s important to realize that your feelings of anxiety (just like mine), are probably all valid.

Considering what the world has gone through in the past year and a half, it’s not unreasonable to feel worried or anxious about the future, particularly when you base it on the recent past.

What’s not to feel worried or anxious about? All of us had our entire world turned upside down, and every best made plan for the future was suddenly impacted in a negative way.

That’s not to say that some individuals, or businesses didn’t manage to see a profit, or some other light at the end of the tunnel, as a result of COVID (like maybe morticians, and hand sanitizer companies).

But for the most part, the global pandemic had a dire and lasting affect on us all, and that includes on our psyches.

If you’re finding that your anxieties are either directly or indirectly related to the corona virus, trust me, you’re not alone.

The good news is, you won’t feel this way forever, regardless of whether you’re still worried about the virus in general, or about some problem or perceived problem from the aftermath of the virus.

Whatever it is, it will manage to sort itself out; at least that’s what happened in my case. I found myself worrying about things that had nothing to do with the virus, or so I thought.

But then I began to pay attention, and analyze my feelings. That’s how I discovered what was really going on with myself.

Self Awareness Helps

We human beings are funny creatures, but when and if we stop and take the time to try and analyze ourselves, we’re not that hard to figure out. Self awareness plays a big part in learning to stop worrying so much and simply live in the moment.

For example:

For the first few months of 2021, I felt nervous and fearful of getting back out into the world again, even though the restrictions were starting to be lifted. On the one hand, I felt justified about being cautious, yet, a little voice inside my head continually taunted me.

The voice told me that I would never get a chance to enjoy the things I once enjoyed, if I didn’t get out there and do it now. So although I was hesitant to get out, I was mentally bullying myself to do just that.

I literally felt like there was a war waging inside me, and no matter what I decided, I’d still come out the loser. Little did I know, all my senseless worrying was doing nothing but reducing my life expectancy.

So what can you do about your tendency to worry?

One of the best ways to worry less in life is by focusing your time and attention on something positive.

• Ask yourself what kind of things you like to do to occupy your free time.
• Are they positive activities that bring you joy?

If your day or spare time consists of watching depressing news channels all day, or television programs that only bring you down, then it’s time for some reprogramming (both literally and figuratively).

When you learn how to keep yourself busy every day, with things that bring you joy, it’s easier to forget about all those nagging negative thoughts. You may not forget about them completely, but eventually, your brain will start learning how to compartmentalize things a lot better.

Instead of dwelling on one or two negative things all day, your mind will be able to set those things aside, at least for a little while. That’s better than negative thoughts sucking up all your time, day and night.

With each passing day, if you continue specifically focusing on positive activities, any negative issues you may be struggling with will learn how to stay on a back burner until you can figure out a solution.

Joy in Small Delights

In order to really pinpoint the things that make you happy, you have to get really specific about it. We’re not talking about a general, vague sense of happiness, but a more focused happiness.

In other words, instead of thinking: “Oh I love my family and they make me happy” be more specific with it. Allow yourself to envision something concrete you can do with your family to experience the happiness you mention.

EXAMPLE: “I love Taco Tuesdays with my kids because this is the one night that the whole family comes together and sits down for a meal.”

If you find yourself feeling anxious because Taco Tuesday is too far in the future and you need a dose of happiness on Thursday, develop another special day where you can simulate that same feeling.

Maybe instead of the whole family, or all the kids eating together, Thursday could be designated for you and just one specific kid, or a different kid every Thursday.

The point is, to get proactive when it comes to your happiness and fighting off the urge to worry. Learn to create more opportunities for you to be happy, instead of always waiting to be happy.

Don’t just do this on a day to day basis. If you need to, do it on a hour to hour basis as well. Believe it or not, just having something to look forward to during some point of your daily routine can bring you more joy than you know.

The TAKEAWAY

If the advice of the experts about finding your happy place just seems too simple, that’s because for most people, if something seems too simple, there’s probably something wrong, or some kind of catch. Steve Jobs put it best when he said:

“…Simple can be harder than complex…”

But make no mistake, this simple advice is really your takeaway from this story. Just remember:

• You can get immense joy out of the small things, when you allow yourself to.
• Even looking forward to something small or insignificant like a special snack or treat during a certain time of day can lift your spirit.
• You can create as many happy moments in your day as you choose, and reward yourself in whatever way helps you stay positive.

This may all sound a little too good to be true and you probably doubt if it actually works to help eliminate worry and anxiety. I can’t honestly say how this information will affect you.

I only know how it helped me. I bribe myself with bike rides, favorite shows, and wine coolers on various days.

Just dangling these things in front of myself (mentally), helps to spur me on in my other activities, regardless of how I’m feeling. And when it’s time to finally reward myself, I feel like I won the lottery (well maybe not that great, but I feel pretty good).

Since this is the advice that the experts are giving for people in need of successful life lessons, you can be sure that the theories have been proven to be effective.

So if you’re having trouble keeping a positive attitude, and staying grounded in the present, think about this information. Read it over again if you need to. But above all else, give it a try.

You’ll never know whether it will work for you, unless you do. Hopefully, you’ll eventually become self aware, to the point of being able to appreciate living in the moment.