Mental Health: 7 - Live in the Present

This week’s response focuses on a mindset of living in the present. It highlights how many of us often overthink about things we’ve done or worry about what is ahead instead of just enjoying what we have and where we are right now:

“Live right here, right now. My uncle is a huge believer in this way of thinking and I have become a big believer too. He enjoys life even at the worst of times and his philosophy is to live in the present. It may seem simple but it can be very difficult to do.

It is not easy to rid yourself of regret especially after you’ve made a mistake. He says that in such a scenario, you just have to move on. It’s in the past and hence it’s out of your control. The solution does not lie in the past, but in the present. You cannot change what you’ve done, but you can accept it, learn from it, move on and be better. Everyone makes mistakes but it is how we respond that matters, and so instead of beating yourself up and going over a scenario again and again, you accept it and remain in the now.

Similarly, you cannot control what happens in the future and COVID-19 is a living example of that. It is important to plan for our future to some extent but to plan your whole career, relationships, etc. is, in my opinion, a mistake because that is not in your control. When we plan too far ahead and things start to deviate, we panic, but what if we just focused on where we are right now? I find if I sit down and think about what is happening in my life today, I realise my life is really good. Other days, I may think my life is terrible. But on those bad days at least I can do something about it. Living in the present doesn’t only allow me to be grateful for my life right now, it also means I can actively improve it when I am not happy. Therefore it is much better to focus on the present than on the past or the future because I cannot change either of those things – I don’t have control. I can, however, change the present.

This is the main thing I’ve learned from my uncle and from others – you can only control what you can control and what you cannot control should not concern you. That doesn’t mean you accept everything that comes your way and being an active member of Sinn Féin, that is the last thing I want to express. But you should not let things that are outside of your control dominate your life and thoughts. Live in the present and take life as it comes. Try not to stress about the future, because no one knows for sure what is going to happen. Do not fixate on the past because it is done and cannot be undone. Simply recognise the past, learn from it and try to be better in the present. Look to the future optimistically and do the best you can right now. This is my mantra:

Ná bí burtha faoin caite nó todhchaí, mar is féidir leat a bí i gceannas ach an laithre.”