Worrying About Tomorrow? Don’t Miss Today.
Worry, we convince ourselves that by ruminating and turning things over and over in our minds, we convince ourselves we are being productive with our time and we believe we are taking time to solving potential issues. But the real truth is, worry is just a misuse of our view into the future or indeed our imagination.
Mark Twain famously said, “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” How often do we men waste mental energy on scenarios that never come true?
Our human minds are wired for survival, not happiness. The brain’s “default mode” is designed to scan for threats, and sometimes it doesn’t know when to stop. It can pull us out of the present moment, trapping us in “what ifs” about the future or regrets about the past, things we have no control over.
But in today’s modern world, where our threats are no longer tigers but emails and deadlines to be answered and met, this survival instinct of ours becomes overactive. It makes us dwell on the past “Why didn’t I…” or fear the future “What if it does not work out?”.
So, here’s the thing: the past is unchangeable, and the future is unwritten and has not yet happened. The only place you have any real power is the present, “the present moment”.
It’s not easy especially if you have been given the “gift” of a mind that never stops being busy, or is over curious to a point that it just might get the better of you.
The Antidote to worry is Self-Awareness
What can we do to reduce worry? Well, we can start by catching ourselves in the act:
Pause and ask: “Is this worry helping me, or is it hurting me?”
Ground yourself: Focus on what’s real right now. Try techniques like deep breathing, or take a moment to identify five things you can see, hear, or touch or smell.
Replace rumination with action: If a worry is actionable, then do something about it. If it’s not in your control, let it go.
For men especially, social pressures to be strong or have all the answers can make admitting worry feel like failure. But self-awareness isn’t weakness; it’s strength. The more we understand our minds, the better we can manage them and be better male role models.
So to all the men out there please know that the past is a lesson, not a prison. The future is a goal, not guaranteed to any of us . The only thing we truly have is right now, the present moment.
Studies have shown that mindfulness—the practice of focusing on the present moment—reduces anxiety and improves mental health. When you’re in the present, your brain isn’t stuck in fight-or-flight mode and we can give ourselves a chance to ask for help..
So today, let go of what you can’t control and focus on living fully in this moment.
