Stop Living In the Future
Your stress and blood pressure build as you think about everything that you need to accomplish. Too much to do and too little time.
This is what happens when you’re living in the future. You think and stress about all the things that need to be done in the future.
Fears of not being able to get it all done and disappointing others plague you.
Know that this is your not-so-friendly monkey mind doing its thing again – painting all kinds of scary what-if’s in your head that, in reality, aren’t so bad and are very unlikely to happen.
Using your imagination in a negative way. Thanks to your monkey mind’s inability to be in the present moment, you’re drowning in the future.
Worrying and stressing about future events doesn’t get them done. It diverts energy and focuses from what’s happening in the present moment, impeding your ability to get things done.
What’s Here and Now.....
In the present moment, there’s only what’s in front of you – right here, right now. Observe this moment now with the curiosity of a child.
By bringing your awareness back to the present moment, you realise that you’re doing the best you can under the current circumstances.
You can only do one thing at a time and, eventually, everything worthwhile will get done.
Drop the Judgments - the ego mind is the most judgmental part of you.
Being mindful means bringing your awareness back to the present moment and not judging anything.
Don’t judge yourself negatively for not being a superhero. You’re human and you’re doing the best you can. And that’s good enough.
Don’t judge others for how they act or what they say. They’re dealing with things in their own lives that have nothing to do with you.
Everything simply is what it is. You can choose how to respond.
Making New Choices
You’re not a superhero and you can’t do everything all at once, no matter how hard you try. Deal with it.
Knowing that, make different choices going forward.
If someone makes a request and you know you can’t help them, let them know. It’s okay to say no.
We’re all doing the best we can. Floating through life with no stress is almost impossible.
Even after you know how to keep things at a manageable level, things will slowly, imperceptibly, get out of hand again and you’ll find yourself repeating the quote at the beginning of this post.
Simply follow the steps below to move back to your happy place.
What’s next…..
1. Close your eyes and breathe.
– Stop what you’re doing.
– Close your eyes and take at least three deep breaths.
– Focus on the air going in through your nose and out through your nose or mouth.
– Relax your jaw, face, neck, shoulders, and arms.
– Slowly say to yourself, “Be here now.”
2. Focus on what’s in front of you right now and finish it.
– Now that you’re feeling a bit more relaxed, finish the one thing you’re working on right now.
– Don’t do anything else. No phone calls, emails or other distractions. No multitasking.
– Do the one thing, and only that thing, until it’s done, if at all possible.
3. Make a list of everything else and either prioritize it, delegate it or say no.
– Write down all the other things swimming around in your head.
– Write as much detail as you can about each item so you have nothing left in your head that you’ll need to remember. It will all be on that list for you to refer back to.
– Review each item on the list and decide if you really need to do it. Can you ask someone else to handle it? Does it really need to be done at all?
– Prioritise all the things that you have to do. Ask yourself if you’re working against deadlines that you made up for yourself (give yourself some slack) or do they belong to someone else (ask for an extension).
4. Take a break.
– Take a walk. Get a cup of coffee or tea and do nothing while you sip it. Go outside and stretch your body. Go to an exercise class. Play in a park. Do anything that removes you from the place that creates stress for you. Move your body. Clear your mind. Have fun!
5. Say no to any other requests until you can comfortably include them on your prioritised list.
– Let people know you’re maxed out right now and to be patient.
– Know that the world won’t end if you say no. While you expect the worst, others will actually respect you more by drawing boundaries for yourself and saying no when you need to.
6. Smile and enjoy life.
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