How to Stop Living in the Past: A Guide to Mindfulness for Teens and Young Adults

Have you ever found yourself stuck in the past, replaying old memories and traumas in your mind over and over again? It’s a common problem that can leave you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. But don’t worry, there is a way to break free from this cycle of negative thinking and live mindfully in the present moment.

In this video, a mindfulness teacher and recreation therapist, Jesse Hunt shares an insightful analogy that can help you understand how living in the past can feel like constantly running from fire to fire. Every time you experience trauma, disrespect, or hurt, it’s like lighting a fire. And when you live your life based on these past hurts, you are consumed with keeping the fires burning. But this is a very exhausting and unproductive way to live. Just picture it as you run around keeping so many fires burning.

Boost Wellness reminds us that we cannot control the past, but we can control how we react to it. When we acknowledge and accept the past for what it is, we put the power back in our hands. Mindfulness is simply paying attention to the present moment and accepting it for what it is. It’s about focusing on who you want to be right now, at this moment, and letting go of the past.

Jesse offers a helpful worksheet to help you identify the fires that are still burning from your past. Once you identify these past hurts, you can begin to work on extinguishing them. By letting go of the past, you can live mindfully and gratefully in the present.

Living in the past can be a challenging habit to break, but with mindfulness, you can learn to let go of past hurts and focus on the present moment. Remember that you are important and valuable, and that life is meant to be lived mindfully and gratefully.

If you’re a teen or young adult struggling to live in the present, we encourage you to check out this insightful video by Boost Wellness. And don’t forget to download the helpful worksheet that she provides to help you identify the fires that are still burning from your past. By working through these exercises, you can begin to live a more mindful and fulfilled life.

Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOT6CptMww4&t=3s

Link to the free worksheets: http://www.shorturl.at/ehkGM