As we all try to get back to normal following CODIV-19, it can be overwhelming to feel the pressure of trying to catch up on work, finances, or other obligations, especially when what was normal just a few months ago may be a thing of the past. Focusing on the big picture of all that has changed and the uncertainty of the future can generate a burst of anxiety, often when we least expect it.
To help keep all these pressures in perspective, it’s helpful to remember that life is a series of moments. Some are more enjoyable than others, but all come with aspects that add to our lives and shape us in some way. Each moment we experience changes us so that we are no longer the person we were before that moment. How we experience each moment determines whether we are shaped positively by it, or worsened by it.
Living excessively in the future or in the past can make living right now seem intolerable. You can reduce your anxiety and increase your feeling of control by making it your goal to enjoy the richness of all the details in every experience, rather than thinking about “When will this day be over?” or “When will I finally be happy?” The false promise of these wishful tendencies is exposed when they finally arrive and we discover that we are usually disappointed with that stage of life too.
When we live in a perpetual state of trying to get to something else that we think will be more satisfying than where we are now, we miss out on the hundreds of small pleasures and blessings each experience holds. So, make it your goal each day to focus on living each moment and finding the pleasure, growth, humor or challenge in each circumstance.
Larry Deavers is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Executive Director of Family Counseling Service of West Alabama.
