To stay happy amid uncertainty, live in the moment – but plan ahead to reduce stress
- To boost your positivity about the future, strike a healthy balance between living in the now and planning for tomorrow
- Instead of worrying about things you can’t change, develop strategies to reduce future stresses
As an entrepreneur running her own marketing and public relations consultancy, 31-year-old Emma Williamson is facing a lot of unknowns about her work. With most of the world preparing for an economic recession this year, Williamson admits that she has concerns about the future.
“Reports say that this is going to be one of the worst recessions we’ve ever seen,” says Williamson, who was born in Hong Kong but now lives in the UK.
How can we stay positive and upbeat in the midst of this grave uncertainty?
A study from North Carolina State University in the United States found that the happiest people are those who are able to live in the moment while planning ahead. The research, published in March 2020 in the journal Personal and Individual Differences, looked at two factors that are thought to influence how people handle stress – mindfulness and proactive coping.
