Trusting Your Future Self: A Tool to Tackle Anxiety

Anxiety can manifest in many ways, but for me, it often boils down to one thing: an excessive focus on the future. Can you relate?

You might be in the middle of a workout, enjoying a social gathering, or simply going about your daily life, but you can't fully be present. Half of your mind is fixated on what's to come, and it weighs on your chest. That's anxiety.

Now, there are numerous techniques to manage anxiety, such as controlled breathing, taking active breaks, practicing meditation, or seeking therapy. However, I recently came across a simple yet profoundly effective tool that helped me ease my fixation on the future: "Trust your future self."

For some reason, this idea clicked with me in a significant way. Most of the time, my anxiety about a problem, task, or goal arises when there's nothing I can do about it in the present moment. What's worse, these concerns often involve things I either can resolve or have no control over.

This phrase has been incredibly helpful because it offers a straightforward means of reducing that excessive focus on the future. It's a tool that allows you to distinguish between what pertains to your current self and what you can confidently leave for your future self to handle.

So, if you're feeling anxious because you have a job interview in seven days, just sent out a quotation, or are worried about your three-month runway, I encourage you to take a moment to pause.

Pause and ask yourself: "What can I do TODAY about this situation?"

For those aspects that can't be resolved today, have faith in your future self's ability to address them.

Isn't it beautiful to trust yourself?