The Discipline of Later
Mastering the Mind by Managing the Moment
“Today I escaped anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, in my own perceptions, not outside.” -Marcus Aurelius
Today, practice the art of postponing worry. When anxiety begins to rise, that familiar quickening of thoughts, the tightening in your chest, pause and gently tell yourself, “Not now.” Choose a specific time later in the day when you will allow yourself to revisit the concern. Then, for the moment, return your attention to what is directly in front of you. Focus on your breath, your work, or the sensations of your environment.
You may find that when the designated time arrives, the worry has softened, lost its urgency, or vanished entirely. This practice is not about avoidance; it is about reclaiming your power of choice. Worry thrives on immediacy, on the belief that it requires your complete attention right now. By postponing it, you introduce distance, a small but powerful gap where reason, calm, and clarity can enter.
Each time you delay anxiety’s pull, you strengthen your capacity to respond rather than react. You train your mind to pause, observe, and decide from a place of steadiness instead of fear.
At the end of the day, reflect on your experience. What happened when you told your worry to wait? Did the problem change, or did you? Consider writing about your observations in your journal. Over time, you may discover that peace is not found in the absence of challenge, but in the presence of perspective.