Anxious or Depressed? Lock Yourself in Time!
Anxious or Depressed? Lock Yourself in Time!
Overwhelmed? Let me teach you the "TIME RESISTANT SUBMARINE VISUALIZATION."
"If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present." Eckhart Tolle
There are very few things that stop anxiety or depression as quickly as cementing yourself in the present moment. While living presently in the now is quite a challenge, some shortcuts can help us immensely when suffering.
One such shortcut is a simple visualization. When I feel overwhelmed, it instantly grounds me in the present moment.
The time-resistant submarine visualization
Imagine yourself in a giant metal submarine. You’re standing in the middle compartment, with metal doors in front of and behind you. But they’re no ordinary doors. Oh no, they’re bulkheads- waterproof and airtight. You can see those red wheels, also known as a "dogging" mechanism. Once those are locked, nothing gets in or out! You’re completely sealed.
In our visualization, the doors in front of you lead to tomorrow.
The doors behind you lead to yesterday.
The compartment you’re currently standing in is today.
When you feel anxiety or depression (or any other negative emotion that can be traced to thinking about the future or the past), take a few deep breaths and immerse yourself in this visualization. See yourself in the first person, occupying that middle compartment. You’re living in today and in that time-resistant submarine.
Now turn around and close the doors to yesterday
Lock the mechanism, and feel, hear, and see how it closes airtight. Clonk. It’s done. The door to yesterday is shut. It doesn’t exist for you anymore. What’s stored in there is gone forever. Nothing from the past can hurt you. You can’t even think about it anymore. You closed the access to your past.
Face forward and repeat the process for the door leading to tomorrow
Lock it tight! The future doesn’t exist. You can’t reach it, see it, or go there. It’s shut. Nothing from the future can harm you, and you can’t even think about it. There’s nothing there but that heavy, impenetrable door.
Feel the sensation of being locked in today.
Today only. You’re not interested in yesterday or tomorrow. They don’t exist. There is only now. Today is all you have to deal with. From now until you fall asleep in the evening. Nothing else concerns you.
Not yesterday and not ten years ago.
Not tomorrow, and not ten years in the future.
Past and future don’t exist for you.
You’ve closed those bulkheads. It’s done. No one can open them up now. You are free of time!
Feel the tension leave your body. Feel anxiety subside
Observe your thoughts as they rest in the silence of the moment. Feel the relief of not having to solve anything. You don’t have those problems today. No tomorrow, no problems, and nothing to be anxious about. Not right now. No past, no regrets, pain, and sorrow. No time, and there is nothing to think about.
Today is always manageable
You only need to make it till the evening. Nothing else is your problem at this moment. Whatever you feel right now, you can take it until the end of the day. Whatever problems you believe you have, they’re probably not solvable today. In fact, I would wager that most of those problems are only your pessimistic prediction of the future. But you can’t know what will happen tomorrow. No one can.
Yesterday doesn’t exist. It’s just a memory. It’s not real. It’s not here now. It simply disappears if you don’t keep it at the forefront of your mind. Whatever happened happened. To hell with it. There’s no point worrying about it now. What is done is done. Leave it be.
There is no need to think about either
You’re grounded in the now moment. The present. You’re stuck in today. You don’t know what tomorrow will bring, and you don’t care. You’ll cross that bridge when you get there. Let it go completely.
The truth is you only control your mind and your actions in the now
You can’t change the past or know the future. Release yourself from this imaginary obligation. You don’t have to have all the answers right now. In fact, it’s impossible. Stop it right now!
You’ve locked yourself into today
There is no yesterday or tomorrow- today only. If your mind begins to wander either into the past or the future, catch it and stop it in its tracks! Say “NO!” and mean it! Today only. Refocus and keep doing it until your mind settles down and accepts that you won’t budge.
Can you feel the sweet release of the present moment?
Can you see how those thoughts and subsequent feelings are tethered to either the future or the past? They cannot survive in this moment.
Whenever you feel overwhelmed by emotions or problems, lock yourself in your favorite submarine compartment called TODAY.
Lock the doors in front and behind you. Feel how tightly they’re locked. Nothing is getting in our out! You’re safe. Even if you wanted to reach tomorrow or yesterday, you can’t - the door is shut.
You only have to manage today. That you can do. You can handle anything until bedtime tonight. Cut the ties to time and be free of your problems and suffering.
You know what else can’t survive in the present moment? Your incessant mind!
You’re welcome!
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