Last night, my head was buzzing with anxiety about all the things I needed to do. Rather frighteningly, it dawned on me that this was often my natural state: living with perpetual, low-key anxiety about everything I haven’t done. My mind is always stuck on future possibilities, many of which are delightful ideas, but when I compare those ideas with what I’ve accomplished to meet them, anxiety is relentless and inevitable. I was amazed at how hard it was to relax and live in the moment – to forget about the future, even if just to sleep!
Goals are what often drive me to be anxious, and I’m sure it just might be the same for you. I don’t meet a lofty and thrilling goal I desire to reach, and even if I have, it’s not perfect, so it’s not good enough. No effort counts. So anxiety sets in, because there is always something else that needs to get done.
And yet Jesus urges us,
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Matthew 6:34
It’s an exhilarating, freeing thought to know that we don’t have to be anxious about tomorrow. How then do we implement it? How do we not only know it but believe it enough to live it?
It’s hard to feel truly alive when you truly turn “workaholic”.
For me personally, things that add up are chapters to write, character profiles to work out, blog posts to finish, school projects to begin, school projects to finish, piano pieces to practice, letters to write, and chores to do, even emails to send and books to read. I’m not saying those are ALL work, but they’re still all things that add up in my technically non-existent to-do list. (Clarification: I have a to-do list, only it’s just in my mind. 😀 ) I even tend to feel guilty with free time because I’m not doing anything that I feel is worthwhile.
And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is the problem. I’ve come to realize that free time is actually good. When all you do is work – when work claims control of your mind, it drains you and leaves you empty and restless… anxious. Because it will NEVER be done.
While anxiety continued flowing into my mind that night, I realized I hadn’t imagined some fanciful story unconnected with my real life in a while. *gasps* 😉 If you’re not like me, well… you know your brain doesn’t recharge with imagination. But if you ARE like me, you know your brain DOES recharge with imagination. So I made up a story branching off from a book I’d been reading lately. Relaxing with imagination helped divert my mind from that unending list of unchecked boxes.
This doesn’t mean I’m encouraging you to ignore work. Oh no. *grins* (In fact, I’m planning on doing a post about learning to work sometime in the future… )
But sometimes things get to the point where you need to distract yourself from obsessing over that to-do list, where you need to learn to relax your mind. Whether it be with imagination and daydreaming, going outside if just to watch cars pass, talking with someone without solving any big problems, taking the time to write a journal entry when you feel stressed, or reading a book just for fun, reasonable amounts of relaxation refresh and recharge.
Did you like that alliteration? ;P Okay, moving on…
Find what relaxes your mind. Even if it IS seemingly mindless, if it accomplishes nothing concrete. And although watching a movie with family or researching a fun topic online can count in my *humble* opinion, we need to spend more time relaxing away from screens. We live in an age charged with the next new thing, sucking you in and rewarding you with regret and restlessness. It only exacerbates anxiety.
Appreciate what is right in front of you. Well, not the screen in front of you, but the setting in front of you. 😉 Maybe you’re next to a window right now, as I am. Look out it. Who knows whether you’ll find the inspiration you need to finish a project you were just anxious about?
Learn to live in the moment and temper the dreams of the future with the realities of today.
Everything you need is right in front of you.
Learn to relax your mind.
Saraina Whitney 
I love that verse that talks about not being anxious. I’d say most of the time I feel guilty because I’m relaxing too much (hope that makes sense!). Then I try to find more work. I’m not a workaholic yet, at least, but I am learning the balance finally. Thanks!
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Exactly!! Thank you for commenting, Tauriel! 😉
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