By Shayne Holzman

Date: 8/12

Word Count: ~680

How Anxiety Affects the Present—and Ultimately Our Future

Anxiety shows up in many ways, often whispering doubts that pull us away from the moment. For me, anxiety usually revolves around my future—what career I’ll have, what path I’ll take, and how I’ll “fix” things. In focusing so much on tomorrow, I often forget to live today.

Why does this happen? I think it’s because, like many people, I sometimes want to escape the present. Life is hard, and my disabling somatic symptom disorder makes it even harder. My body often feels terrible, and that discomfort clouds my ability to think clearly. Because of this, I find myself slipping into daydreams of a “better” future instead of facing what’s right in front of me.

But here’s the truth: by constantly escaping the present, I actually make my life harder. Time slips away, my goals stall, and I lose focus. It’s not that I don’t have the willpower—I do. The challenge is functioning consistently when my mind and body feel so heavy.

Still, I know this: nothing changes in the future unless I act in the present.

The Trap of Waiting for “Better Days”

When I imagine my future, I sometimes believe I’ll miraculously feel better—free of pain, full of energy, and endlessly productive. But that’s a cognitive distortion. Waiting for a “perfect” version of myself is just another way of delaying progress.

I enjoy imagining what I want to do with my life, but if I don’t practice and build my skills today, no magical tomorrow will arrive. How can I be ready for future opportunities if I’m not preparing now? Exactly—I can’t.

The hard reality is that our future is built moment by moment. Every skipped day, every delay, every “I’ll start tomorrow” becomes a future that never arrives.

Why Your Future Is Already Here

Planning is important. Setting goals matters. But if I’m not grounded in the present, I can’t create the future I want.

One exercise that’s helped me is writing down my goals, then breaking them into daily steps. The problem in the past wasn’t that I didn’t plan—I did. The problem was that I didn’t finish. My symptoms, thoughts, and emotions would interrupt me, making me lose my sense of direction. It felt like walking down a road, only to suddenly forget where I was headed.

Over time, I realized that this cycle of starting and stopping was holding me back more than anything else. If I want a better future, I have to stay present long enough to finish what I start.

The Time Is Now

I’ve decided it’s time to change course. Instead of waiting for my body to feel better or for life to get easier, I want to move forward today. Even if progress feels slow, even if some days are harder than others, the act of staying present will shape my future more than endless planning ever could.

The truth is simple: the future isn’t something we wait for—it’s something we create. And the only place we can create it is right here, in the now.

So, the next time you catch yourself waiting for tomorrow to begin, remind yourself: your future is already here. Start where you are. Take the step you can take today. Because the future you want is built in this very moment.