Enjoying Our Days When We're Terrified of What the Future Will Bring

Tawanda Jazz
Aug 31
4 min read

I am no stranger to worrying about the future. In fact, it's almost impossible, in our day and age, to always be in the present moment, never thinking about the past or the future. Almost. In chaotic, difficult times, we must see to it that we are living deeply. Not simply on autopilot, gliding on the surface of life. It is easy to get lost in the details and drama of everyday life, forgetting that life exists outside of work, beyond appointments and plans and responsibilities. Yes, most of us still have to work. Many have children, aging parents, school/college and other responsibilities competing for our attention. What if we could take each moment of our day and make it as enjoyable as possible, while still getting things done?

Quiet Quitting

Long before it became a viral trend, people were "Quiet Quitting", perhaps without a proper name for the behavior. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term as:

Quiet Quitting: The practice of doing the minimum amount of work required for one's job.

Many confuse quiet quitting with simply "being a shitty employee", and that's not correct. That asshole that makes mistakes constantly, harasses other employees and generally causes trouble is not being "quiet" at all. The reason that most employers don't notice employees who quiet quit is that they are doing the bare minimum and flying under the radar. Here are some tips for Quiet Quitting:

Always look busy.
Be friendly enough that you don't risk looking like you're not a "team player".
Do something cheap but appreciated for the team once every week or two (like bring in a dozen of the cheapest doughnuts you can find or a family-size bag of candy you bought for $2).
If your work culture means no one gets to actually take their full breaks, make sure that you take yours away from your workplace—meaning, even if you need to hang out across the street under a tree, don't be around for them to cut your break short.
Make up an imaginary reason that you can never stay late. If you have kids, that is the easiest one. No daycare, have to get the kids. You can also say that you have to travel across town to your second job after work. Another good one is physical therapy.
Whatever you do, make sure that the work you do does not have mistakes. The operative word here is always "quiet".
Emotionally detach from your job. It should be easier once you have stopped putting your all into it!

Happiness Compromise

Find something you love doing that you never get to do. Something that your partner, friends, or kids can do with you. If you feel like you never get to do the stuff you love, start figuring out a way to do those things when you are attending to other responsibilities or your family. Never get to hang out with your friends, because you are either working or with your kids? Have a BBQ or get together somewhere with a kids' play area. Break out the margaritas! Love playing video games but never get to? Get your kids or your partner into it. Happiness in any situation with others requires compromise, so don't be afraid to ask.

Playing Hooky

Give yourself a day or a few hours off—from everything. Feel like you only get days off if you have a root canal? Request a day off ahead of time. Take the day for yourself and do whatever! Go ride a roller coaster. Get started on a new hobby. Go on a hike. Rent an e-bike. Go for a spa day, head to the arcade. . . Just do whatever sounds most fun (and make sure to do it far away from where you work). Need a break from your family or home life? Work out Hooky days for you and your partner, so you both get a day and you aren't lying to each other.

Trading Up

You have something you can sell, most likely, so use that money instead of letting that useless thing sit around! If you don't have the money to do something fun that is under $200 or so, sell something you don't use or want anymore and use the money to do something that makes you feel awesome. That's way better than having a bunch of crap sitting around that you never (or rarely) use.

Spending Less Money

Easier said than done, right? But, look under all those bills and all that debt, and you will find some ways to cut down. Get new quotes for car/home insurance every few months. Stop paying for streaming services and get DVDs from the library. Have car payments? See if you can trade down for an older car and lower your payments. Have an expensive phone? Sell it and get a smartphone that's older. There are hardly any differences between a 2025 phone and a 2017 phone, except a huge amount of money or an exorbitant payment plan. See what you can trim down or cut out and do it, all in the name of either saving it or spending it on something you really love.

Whatever you do, start prioritizing your health, fun, and happiness over obsessing about the future. Yes, we still need to plan, prepare, and adapt, but we need to take care of our mental health as well. Obviously, don't spend all of your money on fun so that you wind up in trouble, but you can do little things (like the list above) to make your days better, always. We can't control the economy, the unfortunate trajectory of our country, the weather, the price of groceries, or the minds of our bosses—but there are things we can do to make our days better and more fulfilling, even in times such as these.