3 Ways To Remain Mentally Stable In A Changing World
How to adapt to change without losing your mind.
The whole world is rocking but it’s balanced. There’s no rest anywhere or in anything. Rest gets destroyed by time. Rest gets destroyed by the outside world.
But there are certain ways to remain on board the moving train that’s called change.
1. Live In The Now
Around 20 BC, a Roman poet named Horace coined one of the first recorded and recognizable versions of a phrase related to living in the moment. And you’re probably familiar with it. “Carpe diem” meaning “seize the day” is one of the most popular phrases that has been expressed in various ways ever since.
Regardless of how it’s said, the idea of living in the moment is appealing as it offers a way out of senseless living patterns that cause us to throw away our time, and it allows us to stop worrying about the past or the future.
Arguably, there’s an inherent conflict between living in the moment and human nature itself. Simply put, we want our moments in life to be the best they can be. But, here lies our problem. The reason why we struggle to ever truly seize the moment is that we try too hard. We try to perfect the moment instead of living in it. We work to make sure that it is worthy and refuse to accept it as it is.
We combat the uncertainty of its quality with planning and routine. But in the planning process, we use up all of our moments. Every moment becomes a stepping stone to the next, assuming what we will find in the next will exceed the previous. And with this, no moment can ever exist for itself.
So, more than planning, each moment requires an appreciation for what it is. Living in the moment is undoubtedly easier said than done, but it’s your duty to yourself. If you’re not experiencing life and instead life is experiencing you, this moment is your only way out.
2. Don’t Take Stuff So Seriously
Do you know how I call people who take things too seriously?
Perfectionists.
Perfectionism is the enemy of change. People who are perfectionists can’t tolerate their imperfections and vulnerabilities. They also don’t like change. They’re concerned with every potential “what if” scenario. Their bar is so high that they never rest to have fun.
If you’re a perfectionist, while you’re busy worrying about everything you need to sort out, you miss out on enjoying the little things that matter. You miss out on the moments of significance that can make you happy and fulfilled in life. You miss out on connecting with people on a deeper level because you are so afraid about what other people might think of you if they see you fail.
To deal with it:
- Confront the fear of failure. Try messing up on purpose and see what happens. You may be shocked to learn that nobody noticed.
- Think about the worst thing that could happen. This simple thought can help you, and others, put things in perspective.
- Add more humor to your life. Surround yourself with funny people. Turn off the news; watch a comedy instead.
- Smile. Especially when you feel nervous or upset.
- And remember, you’re somewhere in here:
If you can recognize the balance of taking things seriously, but not too much, you’ll be able to more easily withstand life’s weight. You’ll find yourself becoming more and more calm, resilient, and ultimately successful. Because those who truly succeed and care about life, recognize that sometimes caring too much about life, ruins it.
3. Accepting The Change
I let the key factor of this article to be the last.
Do yourself a favor and don’t expect stability.
Everything on the surface of life changes. Everything you can perceive changes in some way, at some point. This may sound dismal but it isn’t. Change isn’t something to be afraid of. It’s something that provides excitement, progression, and a sense of life.
What’s ironic about change is how much we appear to hate it and resist it, despite how inevitably rooted and essential it’s to our life. But regardless of our fear and resistance to change, it’s inevitable.
We must overcome our fear of it and embrace it in our lives so that we can experience its opportunity, progressions, and excitement. Like overcoming any type of fear, one must face change and understand it, and to come to terms with it.
You can think of change as being medicine, which tastes gross but has a good result. As much as change can be painful, it also makes you grow. If it takes more time to see the benefits, remain faithful and motivated.
Conclusion
Life is in constant flux.
Happiness always turns into sorrow.
Tears always turn into laughter.
Tenderness always gets rough with time.
Friendship turns into love — Love into a habit — Habit into hatred — Hatred into solace — Solace into curiosity — Curiosity into friendship.
You see, by resisting change, you’re resisting life.
