Stress is inevitable when I think of the future. The moment I hear the word future, I envision my goals and how I'm going to accomplish them. But almost immediately after my imagination gets interrupted by my own stress. I start questioning myself about how, when, and if my ideas will turn into reality, which in turn leaves me feeling flustered. I am most concerned about the future of my children, with their upbringing and what standard of living I’ll be able to offer them. This is then coupled with expectations from my family, who also put in their own efforts but rely on me to an extent. Handling all of these at the same time can get overwhelming.
There are times when I feel diffident when it comes to expressing my thoughts. This happens partially due to my introverted nature, but mainly when I get fearful of being judged by people. Thinking that people might look down on me or crack jokes about me makes me feel intimidated. I can’t avoid getting nervous when meeting new people by imagining what they might think of me.
The stress builds up with the daily chores, missed tasks and forgetfulness. Oftentimes, I tend to procrastinate and put off my tasks until it’s too late and then I’m stuck trying to finish everything at once, adding to the stress and pressure.
I’m at a point in my life where I’m planning on changing my career, and not being certain if I’ll be able to deliver on this makes it more stressful as I have to be considerate of several other factors that I mentioned earlier. It feels as though I’ve chosen to follow my interests too late in my life, hoping starting late is better than not starting at all. Because I feel bashful about it, I couldn’t share this with anybody yet, but I’m trying to provide this a corresponding focus in my mind.
“Though the stress on the future continues, I’m not overwhelmed by it.”
On my most recent vacation with my family, I came across a podcast by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, a General Practitioner who works for the NHS in the UK. He mentioned the importance of focusing on our breathing and other related exercises. Soon after I tried his recommendations, I realized that by concentrating on my breathing, I was able to calm my nerves and stay focused on the tasks that were right in front of me instead of procrastinating like I used to do. I soon realized that I have been stressing too much on the future, rather than focusing on the present.
But a big relief came to me in the form of the Mindshine app. It has been my persistent habit to follow the peaceful morning routine on the app soon after I wake up every day. One such routine is the Morning Dump routine. Getting battered constantly by ideas and thoughts, my brain felt fatigued and exhausted leaving me in a worn-out condition lacking concentration. This routine helped me pour out my mind, all the thoughts and ideas, just after getting out of bed and transformed me into being more peaceful and focused on today. The soothing music of rain and thunder in the background made me feel like a poet sitting down writing his thoughts at dawn.
I feel more mindful and calm now. I can certainly feel there is a change within me which makes me more confident in facing the future. Though the stress on the future continues, I’m not overwhelmed by it.
Jagadish Bhati, Mindshine Community Champion
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