How To Stop Tomorrow-ing Your Pain Today

You know that thing that is on your “To Do” list day after day, week after week, that you never get to? Or maybe it is not on your To Do list at all because you are avoiding it altogether. It is called “Tomorrow-ing your pain.” I got the phrase from a Book by Sharon Salzburg called Real Change, and I realized, “Dang it! I do that.” We all do to some degree or another. Here are some ways to finally stop Tomorow-ing your pain and finally deal with it TODAY. 

Realize: It’s not going to just go away. 

It’s not. Trust me, I’m a therapist. There is a reason that drug use and abuse exists--pain is being put off until tomorrow. There is a reason we are all glued to our phone--tomorrowing pain.

In fact, I was just thinking, “I really don’t want to finish this blog post.” But here I am. Get it done.  

Stop Making Excuses Not To Take Care of Yourself

I don’t have enough. It costs too much. It’s too hard. It hurts. It’s not my job. It’s not my fault. While any of these things might be true, it doesn’t mean you can’t take responsibility for what you can do to take care of yourself. 

For me, my priorities are skewed, and I know that there is enough time and money to make it happen. How much do you spend going out to eat? On your car? How much time do you spend scrolling through social media or watching TV? 

I recently started getting up very early to work out, and by taking this time, I realized how much time I waste. Now my wasted time--scrolling on my phone, TV, or playing video games--is my reward time for all I did to love my body and take care of myself. There is enough time for it all.  

There is enough. And you are worth it. 

Find Someone To Keep You Accountable

What is the thing you keep tomorrow-ing? Is it going to the gym? Is it talking to a relative? Is it standing up to your boss? Is it going to the doctor? Is it eating healthy? Is it seeing a therapist? 

Tell someone that you need to do it! Tell them to hold you accountable, and they will. Of course, it’s important to choose someone you trust who will treat you well no matter what.  

If you have a partner that you live with, do the work together. Research shows that if you have an accountability buddy, you will be more successful at whatever you put your mind to. 

Think About How Good It Will Feel To Get It Done

It is going to feel sooooooo good to finally get it done. We focus so much on the task, we forget what it will feel like to finally have it done and over. It feels good. It feels like a weight is off. 

It feels free. Doing what you set out to do to care for yourself gives you more freedom.

Celebrate Your Accomplishment! 

Give yourself a reward. I know, you can give yourself a reward for nothing, but it feels so much better when you know you have earned it. Being able to finally have that blog post written. Getting up early. Having that conversation. Whatever you need to do to love and care for yourself that you’re putting off--there can be a reward. Give it to yourself. 

Holistic Therapy Can Help Get You Through

With EPT™ we will work through whatever is stopping you from doing what you want or need to do. We go straight to the root of the problem, so that you can finally feel free of the pain. You may still need to re-prioritize, stop excusing, or have an accountability buddy, but EPT™ will help you with that too. At ohht, we will heal and celebrate together!