Let Go of Past and Future Thoughts

Did you know that holding on to your past and future thoughts can prevent you from truly enjoying the present? Learning requires being aware of what’s here now. In order to learn in a way where Spanish can really stick, you need to learn to clear your mind and stop worrying about what you can’t control.

Past thoughts

These are anxieties and fixations of what you’ve already done in the past. Both positive and negative obsessions with the past can start to affect your present. Thinking too much about ways you’ve failed, concepts that were difficult, or ways you’ve embarrassed yourself speaking with native speakers isn’t going to help you improve.

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On the other hand, focusing too much on greatness might also make you hesitant to try new things. Being too comfortable in your skills can both make you anxious to try new things and fail, or make you feel complacent.

Future thoughts

You might be thinking, “How can future thoughts affect me if I haven’t even thought them yet?” This refers to anxieties about the future. Thinking too much about what may possibly happen can distract you from your true goals. Worrying too much can make you feel drained, and make you too nervous to try new things.

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Trying new things can be exciting! Learning a language will open so many doors of opportunities, and it’s great to dream about what you’ll do in the future. However, if you feel like you aren’t making progress on the schedule you set for yourself, it can leave you feeling burnt out and frustrated.

Stay in the present

It can actually take a lot of practice to release past and future thoughts and truly stay in the present. There are many health and wellness benefits to staying in the present, and one of the best ways to practice this is to meditate. Meditation looks different for everyone, and there are lots of ways for beginners to get into mindfulness practices. You could focus on your breathing, pay attention to all 5 senses, or go for a walk listening to the sounds of nature.