I recently read this quote:
‘If you’re depressed, you’re living in the past. If you’re anxious, you’re living in the future. If you’re at peace, you’re living in the present.’ (Lao Tzu)
I very much live in the future, worrying about the endless ‘what ifs’ that come with it. I worry about things so much, so often, they can become a self fulfilling prophecy – and then I spend my time depressed about the things that could have been (living in the past) because I spent so much time being anxious (iiving in the future). Its a horribly vicious cycle.
The days when I am truly at peace, and calm and happy, are the ones where I am focussed on the now and not thinking about what could or should be.
And only the anxious people of the world can understand exactly how hard it is to live this way, and how when those good days happen, you want everyone around you to be in the exact same mood of excitement and enlightenment as you are, in order to prolong that feeling. Because as soon as someone brings up something that might have been lurking at the back of your mind, or emits any kind of stress, you are thrown right back to the place where the worry grows (because there appears to be something to worry about).
It’s kind of like the damp spots in the bathroom. You can’t see them most of the time but you know they are there. If you ignore them too long, they start to mould and grow larger and you become more aware of them. You need to manage the mould on a day to day basis – turn on the fan, or open a window – rather than ignoring it til its too late. Cause once you let it get out of control, you have to repaint the bathroom. And no one likes painting.
If you are a worrier, take it one day at a time. When the What Ifs start to creep in, take a deep breath. You don’t know what will happen tomorrow, or the day after that, or five years from now – so whats the point in creating wild and unrealistic scenarios that are only causing you stress and sleepless nights? Instead, think of bathroom mould – laugh – and take another deep breath.
Worry is a misuse of your imagination. And you are far too clever and creative to waste your time on that.
If you or someone you know is living with anxiety (like 3 million other Australians), visit http://www.beyondblue.org.au/ or call 1300 22 4636.
