Let Go of Yesterday and Today to Own Tomorrow

You’re halfway through your day when you hear yourself gripe about something you wish you hadn’t said this morning. You clench your teeth and feel that familiar knot in your gut. Instead of letting the regret spiral, you close your eyes, whisper your mantra—‘What’s done is done’—and notice your chest relax. The world around you quiets, and the hum of the air conditioner becomes your anchor.

Moments later, you’re back at your desk, but you aren’t haunted by might-have-beens. You place your fingers on the cool metal of your coffee mug and inhale its warm aroma. You realize that the present moment, with its steady drip of focus and sensation, always outlasts the ghosts of the past.

Modern neuroscience confirms this. Sensory grounding and focused breathing activate the prefrontal cortex, interrupting regret loops in the amygdala. The result? A calmer mind and a smoother transition into whatever comes next.

Whenever you catch your mind replaying yesterday or fretting about today, recite that short ‘What’s done is done’ mantra, then ground yourself with sensory details—feel your chair, hear distant traffic, smell your coffee. It’s a simple reprogram that keeps you firmly in the here and now.