One Day at a Time

We’re well into the New Year now and, for some people, this focuses the mind onto cheerful possibilities held by the future. For others, though, the future is a dreary grey path stretching out unendingly beyond them or a continuation of already unbearable feelings. So great is their pain that they cannot imagine a life without it.

I know people who have found it useful to try and bring their focus back towards the present. In this way, you can deal with the issue and feelings you face in smaller, more manageable chunks. You look at what you are going to do in the immediate future and how you feel right now, avoiding the temptation to look too far ahead because, for now, you cannot deal with too much all in one go. Sometimes, one day at a time is too much to contemplate – if this is the case, reduce the time; down to a half day, an hour or even right down to one minute at a time if you need to. Then you decide how you are going to get through that period. Maybe you’ll make a list of activities so that you’re structuring the time; maybe you’ll go for a walk or ring a friend. You don’t have to tackle the problem headlong. You can choose to just get through this day, hour or minute.

Of course, you won’t want to spend the rest of your life using this method of survival. If your struggle continues you might want to consider outside help – see your GP, find a suitable support group or try counselling.