Why are we afraid of missing something and how to deal with the fear of wasted time

What is Time Anxiety

Each of us at least once in his life thought: "It's too late." It's too late to write a book, it's too late to start a business, it's too late to learn a new language. And everything would be fine if this thought did not prevent us from achieving what we want and moving forward.

The fear of wasting your time and living your life in vain is called anxiety about time or fear of wasted time.

What forms does anxiety about time take?

There are three types of this state:

Anxiety about the present - a daily feeling that you need to run somewhere and do something right now, otherwise life will sweep by. In some cases, this can lead to full-blown bouts of anxiety and stress.
Anxiety about the future - thoughts about what may and may not happen today, tomorrow or in a week. These include any questions that start with the typical "What if …"
Existential anxiety - the feeling that time flows through your fingers and it is impossible to return it.

Physician and author of Invincible Mind, Alex Likerman, notes that the fear of wasted time stems from two simple questions:

Am I making my life as valuable as possible?
When my life comes to an end, will I feel like I wasted a lot of time on nonsense?

As paradoxical as it may sound, such an obsession with the value of every minute can prevent us from making our life truly useful. Anxiety about time makes us subconsciously calculate the potential of this or that activity or event through the prism of the possible and the impossible, and this only fetters.

How to deal with the fear of wasted time

Psychology consultant and author of Inner Peace. 101 Ways to Deal with Anxiety, Fear and Panic Attacks Tanya Peterson believes that in order to control time, it is important to understand two truths.

First, time exists, and we cannot change it. Second, time will move forward, and we should move with it. Understanding these two facts can help you take the first steps in dealing with timing anxiety. Then you can try three strategies.

1. Determine what "good time" means to you

What makes you happy? What takes you to a special atmosphere where there is no thought of productivity and efficiency? Don't think about how cool it would be to write a book. You'd better think about whether you enjoy writing at all.

Make a list of activities that bring you real pleasure and make you feel confident and valuable to the world around you.

2. Set aside time for useful activities

This does not mean that they need to be added to the daily schedule. Get creative - make rewarding activities a part of your life. Let's say you still enjoy writing and would like to become an author. Do this during lunch at work or after you put the kids to bed.

If you have very little time left, that's okay. The main thing is to pay attention to the items on your “Time spent with benefit” list.

3. Eliminate from life everything that distracts you

The hours we spend watching videos on social media can be one of the stressors. Analyze how you spend your time and do a little "cleanup" - replace aimless pastime with useful hobbies and activities.

Of course, these strategies will not help from the first second like magic. But they will allow you to move in a new direction - forward to a more conscious life and away from meaningless experiences and anxieties. Yes, time is moving inexorably forward, but it is important to remember that it can always be caught up and even overtaken.