No one can tell the future, so we all are forced to sit with uncertainty about what will happen. Anxiety is inherently placed in the future, or the past, because anxiety is rooted in things we cannot control. How we think about the future can cause us to feel, anxious or stressed, or calm and controlled. The only place you have control is the present moment. So, what is there to do RIGHT NOW about anxiety about the future?

Here is a task:

Take a piece of paper and draw four columns. Label one tomorrow, one next week, one next month and one next year.

Now, take time thinking about each one. What causes stress in each time period?

For Example: Maybe for tomorrow it’s worry of waking up on time, and next week there is worry about an upcoming doctor’s appointment and next month the bills are higher so you feel worried because of financial stress and next year I have no idea where I want to live or to buy or rent a house and that unknown is scary.

In this exercise you are forced to confront what is and is not in your control. When you have written down a few things that cause stress during each of the time periods, now it’s time to acknowledge control. Look at your lists. Now, underline or highlight anything that can be controlled.

Now for each item on the list, write down three things that can be done to take control and reduce stress.

In the examples I gave, waking up for work on time could be considered a task within your control: to set alarms, whether on the phone or the clock, to charge your phone or plug in your clock to insure it goes off, and ensure as much as you can to stick to a routine sleeping schedule to decrease likelihood of sleeping through alarms. Setting alarms, charging/plugging in needed devices, and having a sleep routine are three ways to help take action and reduce stress.

Next week’s doctor’s appointment; however, is out of your control. You’re not a doctor, google is unhelpful and gives us worst case scenarios. There is nothing to be done until next week at appointment time. You are in control of how much you google before an appointment and how much time you spend ruminating on said appointment. Reminding yourself that this is not a today problem but a [insert date of appointment here] problem. You do not have to live through it TWICE, so try to focus on other tasks and topics that are worth your energy like planning this coming weekend with friends, or an activity that you find enthralling and relaxing.

In this exercise, there are not right or wrong answers. Everyone processes and copes differently. In doing this list, we can come to see how things that appear out of control can at times be brought under control through coping strategies. And for some, nothing can be done, and it is necessary to accept them as they are.

If this exercise resonated with you or you want to talk more about future anxiety, please contact Life Enhancement Counseling Services at 407-443-8862 to schedule an appointment with one of our licensed mental health counselors.