I wouldn’t call myself a perpetually anxious person, and for that I am grateful. Yet I do find that when challenging circumstances are presented to me, I can become very anxious, and often frustrated, about that particular situation, ruminate on it, and often find myself demonstrating many of the criteria for anxiety (racing heart, irritability, lack of concentration, etc….). I know I’m not alone… and that many people find themselves anxious + frustrated every now and again… if not on a regular basis. And since anxiety typically stems from fear/uncertainty about the future, and is often worsened by the snowball effect (the more you think about it, and worry about the “what if,” the bigger your anxiety becomes….) I’ve realized that asking myself one important question can help to put my worries, and frustrations, into perspective:

“Will this matter In a week, a month, or six months from now?”

Plain and simple.

Will it matter in one week, a month, or six months if “XY+Z” doesn’t get finished today?….
Will it matter in one week, a month, or six months that someone was rude to you?….
Will it matter in one week, a month, or six months that you made “X” mistake?…..
Will it matter in one week, a month or six months that the outcome of something went in a direction you didn’t anticipate?…

I apply this to each and every situation and it grants me such great perspective. In all honesty, most situations usually won’t matter in a week…. and the ones that will matter in six months obviously require my full attention. I used to use this with clients all the time. When all of life seems overwhelming, we need a little perspective, and breaking it down into fragments of time really helps….

It’s a simple post, but it’s a simple question that yields excellent outcomes….
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