ALEXA RAY JOEL PRELL COMMERCIAL.mov
For creatures that supposedly only exist in the present, we sure do a lot of time traveling. We worry about tomorrow, we fret over yesterday, and all the while our current status gets neglected.
Some of our most distracting worries aren’t even the current ones. Frequently we’ll drag ourselves down by worrying about tomorrow and whether we’re really ready for it, or we’ll fail to get things done today because we’re still beating ourselves up for the gaffe we made yesterday, or for not doing something we planned on doing. If we’re going to make the best of our efforts to relieve stress and get to where we want to be, we need to make a habit of making the most out of the present, instead of letting time-traveling worries get the best of us.
Step #1 – You’re OK
One mistake we often fall into is trying to stop thinking about something without substituting anything in its place. This isn’t really possible, because the act of trying to stop thinking means you are thinking. For example, try to go 10 minutes without thinking about a polar bear on a beach. It’s hard, isn’t it?
Instead, substitute a positive thought for the negative ones. When you feel yourself worrying about tomorrow or fretting about something that happened, interrupt the process. Take a deep, steadying breath, and say aloud “I am OK now.” What happened has happened, you can’t change it. What’s going to happen isn’t here yet, and there’s probably time to plan for it. Instead, focus yourself on what’s good in the here and now, and remind yourself of it.
Step #2 – Physical Reminders
Habits grow stronger when they have a physical component to go along with the action themselves. The reason many religious rituals are so ingrained into our culture is the physical parts that reinforce the idea and help build the habit. Take advantage of this by carrying around an “I’m OK” card.
On one side of the card, write “I’m OK” along with three reasons. “I’m OK because… there’s food in the house,” or “I’m OK because… I live in a beautiful neighborhood to walk in.” Your reasons can be your own, but make sure they appeal to you and your sense of well-being.
On the other side of the card, write down three things you’ve accomplished recently. Big or small
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the hyperlinks in the above article/review are “affiliate links”, which means that if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive compensation in the form of an affiliate commission.
