Somewhere I read recently a recommendation that resonated, a way to manage stress. The concept was to “shorten your horizon.” The idea is not to stop setting goals or making plans or other future-oriented tasks. Rather, it’s about adjusting how far to look down the road in anticipation of events.
Given all the scary news of late, this seems like a sound approach to coping. Given, also, that I have a fiction writer’s imagination—both a blessing and a curse—I find this appealing. If I focus only a week ahead, rather than a month or six months, or a year, or, good grief, even beyond that, I have a much clearer grasp on what is more likely to happen, how I might be affected, what I can and cannot influence, and how to adjust expectations and plans accordingly.
Of course, reality has a way of throwing all of that into the hopper. The only truth we ever know is what is happening in this moment. And living fully in the present is truly the only way to find fulfillment in each day.
Which is why shortening your horizon can help you stay more in the present. If your mind is not always preoccupied with the future, especially the far future, you aren’t as distracted from appreciating what’s in front of you—particularly relevant with so much trouble in the world.
This is also an essential skill set for coping with a chronic disease like scleroderma. You need to learn what to watch for, seek out excellent medical advice, follow your treatment plan, but also appreciate what each day brings. Years ago, when I was first diagnosed, I decided I didn’t want to know the odds of survival, which turned out to be one of my best instincts. At the time, the expectation was about seven years, a terrifying prospect. I intuitively learned to focus on a shorter horizon back then, because to do otherwise would have been paralyzing.
So, here I am again, relearning that same lesson, as it applies to life in a tumultuous world. It’s second nature for how I manage my scleroderma. Now I just have to figure out how to master that outlook for events even farther beyond my control.
It’s a work in progress.
Evelyn Herwitz blogs weekly about living fully with chronic disease, the inside of baseballs, turtles and frogs, J.S. Bach, the meaning of life and whatever else she happens to be thinking about at livingwithscleroderma.com. Please view Privacy Policy here.
Image: Nicole Avagliano
Good advice, I’m sure. But as Rebecca Solnit says, the fact that the future is uncertain gives grounds for hope.
Very true.