I’m obsessed with the future. Thinking about it, planning for it, waiting on it — the future couldn’t come sooner. As a Pinterest-board-making addict, I have exactly 100 boards, and a majority of them revolve around visualizing what’s to come. In high school, I created one to anticipate college life, and as soon as I started at USC, I made another to envision my postgraduate experience. 

But just as often as I dream about the future, I dread it. Aside from the moodboards and collages, my obsession typically takes the form of extreme anxiety. I’m constantly on edge about post-interview rejection emails I’m bound to receive, stressing over the scores of tests I’ve yet to take or practically pulling my hair out over the idea of moving across the country in a hypothetical that is nowhere near. 

Although I’ve always been aware of my behavior, it all came to a halt when my roommates watched me have yet another meltdown about the creeping unknown. 

One of them said, “You’re always so worried about the future that you can’t even enjoy the present.” 

In my head, I had always been the doomsday prepper of an apocalypse movie: laying out all the various outcomes in my head, prepping for each result and forever waiting for the danger. But in reality, I was the one who had sold her house and destroyed her electronics for a rapture that never came, and the following day, woke up very much alive, but now sans a bed and phone. 

If we are proceeding with the movie trope metaphors, constantly worrying about the future is the most frustrating part of a romantic comedy: There are two people, so clearly perfect for each other, but so scared of rejection that they can’t stop missing each other at the right moment. 

I’m missing out on what’s right in front of me — the glory of experiencing the present — because I’m too preoccupied anticipating the terror of the future.  

In my defense, having anxiety about the future as a young person in 2025 is not completely unwarranted. According to recent data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for “new entrants,” which includes recent college grads and young people trying to work full-time, hit a nine-year peak this year at 0.9%. 

Tied to this economic anxiety is a rise in political anxiety. With the government having shut down on Wednesday and what seems to be a constant outpouring of disastrous news, politics is consuming us. A 2024 survey from the American Psychological Association showed that more than three-quarters of U.S. adults reported that the future of our nation was their most common source of stress. 

And if those two weren’t enough, climate change is worsening: Last year marked the warmest year since global records began.  

Everything seems a bit bleak, and it’s natural to feel anxious about it all. We could spend hours mulling over every terrible scenario that could happen or freak out about the worst that’s yet to come. But ultimately, what’s the point of that?  

The future is like quicksand — the harder you struggle and fight, the faster and deeper you’ll sink into a bottomless pit. Stressing about the inevitable will not make it happen sooner or become any more predictable. If we continue to fixate on events that we truly have no control over, we are letting the manageable present slip away. 

Yes, the prospect of failing a midterm is terrifying, but the fear fades to dust when more focus lies on studying and becoming confident in the material. Tomorrow’s application result may not pan out, but to soften the blow, today can be a great day.     

These things are obviously all easier said than done. I am privileged to even be able to suggest that we temporarily relieve ourselves from the world’s turmoil by simply shutting off our phones or closing our tabs. But during these stressful times, it’s okay to take a step back and breathe. 

Being invested in political discussions is just as important as watching mindless videos on YouTube to have a laugh. Ignoring LinkedIn or email notifications for a day to enjoy spending time with friends will not cause the world to implode. Taking a second to enjoy the present is not a crime. 

So, even though I strongly encourage the making of motivational Pinterest boards, I also implore you to live in the now. If the present is good, maybe the future will only get better.