"القلق لا يفرغ الغد من أحزانه، ولكن يفرغ اليوم من قوته."

Anxiety is like a thief—it sneaks into your mind, not to take away the troubles of tomorrow, but to rob you of your peace and energy today. When you think about it, anxiety doesn’t solve anything. It doesn’t prepare you better for the future or make the challenges ahead any easier. All it really does is drain your current resources, leaving you feeling exhausted and powerless.

This idea has been around for ages. It’s something many people have grappled with, especially in times of uncertainty. Maybe it was relevant during periods of war, economic downturns, or personal hardships. Whenever people faced the unknown, anxiety tended to creep in.

Let’s consider a real-life example. Imagine a student, Emma, who is fretting over her final exams. She’s so worried about failing that she can't focus on studying. Every time she sits down with her books, her mind races with "what if" scenarios. What if she doesn’t pass? What if she disappoints her parents? This constant anxiety doesn’t help her learn the material any better. Instead, it makes it harder for her to concentrate, understand the content, and retain information. By the time the exam arrives, Emma is exhausted and unprepared—not because she was incapable of studying, but because her anxiety drained her energy and focus.

So, what can you do to avoid falling into this trap? First, try grounding yourself in the present. When anxiety creeps in, take a few deep breaths and focus on what’s around you. Notice the details—the texture of your chair, the sounds in the room, the scent in the air. Grounding helps bring you back to the present moment, reminding you that right now, you’re okay.

Another strategy is to break tasks into smaller, manageable steps. If you’re overwhelmed by a big project or looming deadline, break it down. Instead of thinking about all the work you need to do, focus on the first step. Just the first one. Complete it, then move to the next. This way, you’re not paralyzed by the enormity of the task ahead, and you can make steady progress without getting overwhelmed.

Imagine you’re at a coffee shop with a friend, and you’re sharing this bit of wisdom. You might tell them about a time when you were super worried about a presentation at work. You spent sleepless nights thinking about all the things that could go wrong—the projector might fail, you might forget your lines, your boss might hate it. By the time the day actually came, you were so exhausted that your performance wasn’t as sharp as it could have been. But then, you remember a different time when you approached a similar situation differently. You stayed focused on preparing one part of the presentation at a time, took breaks, and stayed present. When the day arrived, you felt prepared and confident. The difference was night and day.

So, next time you feel anxiety creeping in, remember that it’s not helping you deal with tomorrow—it’s just sapping your strength today. Take a deep breath, ground yourself, and tackle one small step at a time. Little by little, you’ll find that you’re more capable and resilient than you thought. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll keep your strength for the moments that truly matter.