How our feelings about the future affect our wellbeing

Feeling a little anxious in some situations is normal and can even be beneficial—as humans developed, our anxiety responses helped keep us safe, flagging potential threats and helping us avoid danger.

Today, however, feelings of anxiety—including concerns about future security—can have an impact on our Real Wellbeing.

According to the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index, a more than 25-year study into the wellbeing of Australians conducted in partnership with Deakin University, “future security” means different things to each of us as we strive for a stable and rewarding future. Whether we’re looking forward to becoming more financially secure, having a family, a secure job, being able to retire comfortably or building quality relationships, feelings about the future have a very real impact on our present wellbeing. 

It’s why the Wellbeing Index measures future security as one of seven key life areas of wellbeing, alongside health, relationships, standard of living, community connectedness, personal safety and achieving in life.

So how do our worries about our future security impact on our wellbeing, and what can we do to feel positive about the future and more in control? 

The very human need to feel in control 

Managing anxiety about the future can be overwhelming. Humans rely heavily on a sense of control in order to have emotional security—and, considering no-one can yet predict the future, it’s no wonder that a sense of “not knowing” can cause us to feel worried. 

“Our minds continually seek out problems for us to solve so that we reduce uncertainty and feel in control of our environments,” explains Dr Eleanor De Ath-Miller, Senior Consultant Psychologist and Clinical Neuropsychologist at Transitioning Well.

Our inability to guarantee our future means we can perceive a lack of control—which, in turn, triggers our anxiety. So, how can we counteract the worry that we experience when thinking about things like our future job security, relationship stability, or even our future finances?

To respond to anxious thoughts, Eleanor suggests making a mental note of what you are thinking and feeling. “If we observe what’s going on in our minds and without giving ourselves a hard time about it, we can learn to respond to our thoughts and feelings with more flexibility,” says Eleanor.

It’s this flexibility that Eleanor attributes to “the velcro mind”—a concept that details how the human brain has evolved to protect us from making the same mistakes over and over by sticking to the bad experiences like a piece of velcro. When we’re assessing our investment strategies, contemplating a new relationship or wondering where our careers will take us, our velcro mind guides our decision-making. 

“That [feeling] isn’t necessarily anxiety. It’s our velcro mind reminding us of previous bad experiences or outcomes,” explains Eleanor. By learning from our past, we make better decisions and increase our sense of perceived control, which can help to reduce our anxiety about our future.

How resilience plays a role in shaping our futures

In recent years, the concept of resilience has taken centrestage in conversations about wellbeing. Being able to accept perceived (or real) failures and recover from them is important for our psychological health.

“Resilience is the ability to be flexible and adapt to challenging situations so that you can continue staying in your centre and moving forwards,” says James Elmani, a counsellor at Beyond Blue. 

“If we don’t have resilience, challenges happen and we get stuck—we may experience depression, isolation, anxiety. Those who are resilient are more likely to bounce back. They have the cognitive flexibility to move through difficult situations, to know that another day will come and that it is possible to feel safe in our bodies. They have the capacity to keep going.”

Resilience is vital in building a better future. It allows us to try different approaches to life and learn where we need to improve. Resilient people generally have a more positive outlook about the future, because they know they can try, fail and try again in a better way. In turn, this gives them a sense of control—not because they can actually control their future, but because they know they can survive it.

“The idea that we always have to be happy is crazy. There’s inevitably going to be highs and lows, and that’s where resilience comes in,” explains Dr Kate Lycett, lead researcher of the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index. “We need to be able to go through ups and downs and bounce back. And that requires resources: internal ones, like psychological safety, and external ones, like financial security. They all come together.”

The ability to experience a hardship and bounce back from it helps us assess our futures with greater confidence and clarity, and this resilience helps boost our wellbeing and sense of security. 

Strategies to cope with future-based anxieties

Everyone wants to feel more secure and in control of their futures, regardless of whether we’re considering a small decision—like whether or not to take that holiday—or a major life-changing event, such as starting a business, having a baby or planning for retirement. 

Eleanor suggests that the next time you are worried about the future, try one of these strategies. “These are useful techniques that work with our mammalian neurophysiology rather than against it,” she says.

• Write a list. Draw up three columns and write out what you can control, what you can influence, and what you cannot control. This helps show you where to direct your energy.
• Be mindful of what you’re thinking and how you’re feeling about the future. Any activity that brings your awareness out of the past or future and into the present moment is useful. It might be a mindfulness app, or simply taking a few minutes to stop what you're doing, focus on your mind and body, and observe thoughts and feelings.
• Drop the struggle against negative thoughts. If negative thoughts about the future aren’t directly affecting your wellbeing, ask yourself: can you let them just be there? Try to understand your thoughts and why you’re having them. We are taught early in life to push negative feelings away, but research shows us that suppressing a thought or feeling actually makes it stronger.
• Name the trigger of your future anxiety. There's a part of our brain that notices the thoughts and feelings we experience. When you’re experiencing anxiety or negative feelings, try naming them so you can assign them to a reason. For example, “I’m noticing feelings of anxiety,” or “There’s my mind worrying again,” or “Here’s the ‘I’m not good enough’ story again”.
• Be kind to yourself. Being gentle on yourself isn’t easy and can feel quite unnatural. That’s okay. Try not to judge how you’re dealing with the unpleasantness. When we accept that things are challenging, we’re much closer to being able to manage the issue than if we tell ourselves we’re weak.
• Make a plan and hope for a better future. Ask yourself, “What is something I can do that is right for me, and takes me closer to the life I want to live?”. 

For James, reducing future anxiety starts with the body. His practical strategies are all about resetting the nervous system. “Take your shoes off and walk on a beach. Spend time in nature—there’s a reason there’s a field called eco-psychology,” he says.

“Try reflective journaling, creative practice, deep breathing. Anything that regulates and relaxes your nervous system. The list is endless, but it’s really about finding what works for you.”

Like a movie or a good book, we can’t always predict the outcome of our future. This can be cause for excitement—but it can also be a source of worry, which can reduce our future wellbeing.

Recognising the signs of this type of anxiety is the first step towards overcoming it and living your full potential in the present.