Where Are You Living? Past, Present, or Future?
Our emotions, stresses, fears, worries, general feelings of contentment, and peace of mind effect our physical health over time. They are also coincidentally tied to where our minds/brains spend most of their time. Where are you living? In the past, present, or future? Figure out where you are living without any judgement on it and you have discovered the power of changing your mindset! This will also help unlock a healthier physical version of yourself too, win win!
The Past
People who find themselves living in the past tend to exhibit the following:
- Guilt, shame, and regret
- Feeling sad or depressed
- Dwelling on what happened
- Replaying events or conversations
- Over-analyzing
The Future
People who find themselves fixating on the future exhibit the following:
- Fear of the unknown
- Worrying about what could happen
- Feeling anxious of what is to come
- Overthinking "what if" scenarios
- Thinking worst case scenarios
The Present
People who live in the present exhibit the following:
- Clarity
- Acceptance
- Joy of Being
- Understanding
- Inner peace
- Gratitude
Obviously the best place to live is in the present. Getting there is not always easy because we have to re-train or rewire our brains to be in the present. Worry and fear are our brain and body's way of trying to keep us safe, however these types of emotions can take a toll on our mental and physical health, not to mention worrying and fear generally do not fix anything.
How did you do?
After reading each list, how did you do? Which place were you mostly living? Or was it a combo? Taking an honest assessment of this every once in a while can be a barometer for where we are putting our energies. Keep in mind that it is okay to be wherever you are, do not judge or shame yourself. Knowing where you are and where you would like to be will help you to raise your awareness of your thoughts and feelings. That's over half of the effort it takes to change things up.
You know you best and how to best be more present. I personally like to journal, ground myself in nature, play in my garden, have honest blunt conversations with friends, meditate, relax, laugh, road trip, aim for spontaneity, and get to the root of my feelings.
Getting to the root of my feelings means that when I feel unsettled, anxious, fearful or any of the variety of emotions tied to the past/future, I follow those feelings inward. I ask where that emotion is coming from, even down to the body parts feeling it. Then I acknowledge to myself, my body, and my brain what emotions I am feeling. This honesty helps the brain to relax and know that the alarm it sounded has been heard.
I then ask non-judgmental questions of the feelings and emotions, trying to sus out what caused them to be expressed. Often there is a past experience that comes up and you are then able to feel, acknowledge, match emotions with, and clear that experience. That is growth my friends!
Try it out and please bring it up in a future session!
