By Leini Jenkins
“It is not impermanence that makes us suffer. What makes us suffer is wanting things to be permanent when they are not.”
You’ve probably heard the saying (or some variation of it), “the only thing constant in life is change.” The older I get, the more I encounter the truth – and the occasional mixed bag of feelings – that these words hold. Change is constant, and life is constantly changing, but my natural tendency is to resist and feel a general sense of anxiety when inevitable changes occur. And I am probably not alone in this. Zen master and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh (2012) speaks to this tendency toward discomfort and resistance, explaining that we humans often come from the mindset that things are supposed to stay the same. However, he points out that when we resist change rather than accept it, we bring about added suffering. The antidote? Instead of resisting change, lean into it, embrace it.
The Principle of Impermanence
The concept of everything changing and the world being in constant flux goes by many names, one of which is impermanence, a fundamental principle within Buddhism. According to Buddhist traditions and teachings, impermanence is not only recognized as the reality that nothing is fixed or certain, but also embraced as a deliberate practice. It recognizes that people, places, things, and circumstances come and go; there is life and death, and nothing is permanent. If practiced with intention, it allows us to grasp the full range of life experiences without becoming overly attached and unable to adapt to change and loss. This mindset of impermanence, once accepted and embraced, is believed to enhance our lived experience rather than contribute to suffering (Anderson, n.d.).
Impermanence and Living in the Present
While the thought of deliberately focusing on something changing or coming to an end may feel uncomfortable, research shows a few ways in which practicing impermanence is beneficial. For example, practicing impermanence has been shown to buffer against perceived stress (Liu et al., 2026). It also reduces psychological distress brought on by challenging life events (Fu et al., 2024) and helps alleviate depressive symptoms (Liu et al., 2025). In other words, impermanence can shape how we interpret stress, how we mentally deal with challenges, and enhance our mental health.
Another way accepting, and even deliberately practicing impermanence can enhance our lived experience is by helping us focus on and be in the present moment. Pema Chodron (2016), a Buddhist nun, author, and teacher, writes that impermanence is the essence of life and brings with it the sorrows and the goodness that is reality. Thich Nhat Hanh (2008) teaches that embracing impermanence forces us to appreciate the present moment. If we know life is constantly changing and that this moment will never happen again, we naturally start to invest more deeply in the here and now. Instead of the unease, worry, or dread you might feel in the face of change or uncertainty, use that opportunity to focus on what is actually happening right now. I recently attended a high school graduation, a kindergarten graduation, my own college graduation, and a funeral. All these events marked the end of one thing and big changes going forward. They reminded me just how fast time passes and how I wish I could go back in time and really immerse myself in ordinary moments. Each event was bittersweet and a stark reminder that the ordinary moment you may be experiencing right now is an opportunity to be present, appreciate, and connect.
In her book Bittersweet, Susan Cain (2022) discusses a similar stoic practice called memento mori, which entails deliberately reflecting on death as a reminder to cherish the present. She talks about using this practice in her own life and how she began to notice and feel gratitude for things she often overlooked, while also rethinking and realigning her life to include more of what she felt mattered most.
In her research on aging and longevity, Dr. Laura Castensen has found that recognizing impermanence helps people focus on meaning rather than on seeking the next best thing. She has found that even though aging adults face physical challenges and the stark reality that their life is coming to an end, they often experience greater happiness due to this shift in perspective (Haupt, 2025).
My Personal Experience with Practicing Impermanence
Over the past year, I’ve made it a practice to accept and even deliberately notice moments of impermanence. Often, I remind myself that things will change, some things may go away entirely, and that I will never live this exact moment again. This mindset has really forced me to be more invested in the current moment and even think about how I want to show up in future moments. Even in moments that feel uncomfortable or chaotic, I will think to myself: if all this went away tomorrow, what might I have wished I had done in this moment, right now? That gentle reminder usually has me finding things I didn’t notice before, and more often than not, I end up feeling awe and gratitude for the moment I'm in. In the words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
““All conditioned things are impermanent” - when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering.”
References
Anderson, C. (n.d.). Blindsided by Impermanence. Still Water Mindfulness Practice Center. Retrieved June 16, 2026, from https://www.stillwatermpc.org/dharma-topics/blindsided-by-impermanence/
Cain, S. (2022). Bittersweet: How sorrow and longing make us whole. Crown. Chodron, P. (2016). When things fall apart: Heart advice for difficult times. Shambhala. Fu, S., Ren, Z., Yang, Z., Li, Z., Wang, J., Zhao, T., & Huang, X. (2024). Embracing impermanence: life events, fear of COVID-19 and psychological distress in the context of the postepidemic era: a moderated mediation model. BMC Psychology, 12(1), 665. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-02165-y
Hahn, T.N. (2008). Breathe, you are alive!: Sutra on the full awareness of breathing. Parallax Press.
Hahn, T.N. (2012). The pocket: Thich Nhat Hanh. Shambhala.
Haupt, A. (2025, December 23). The Best Years of Your Life Are Probably Still Ahead. TIME. https://time.com/collections/future-of-living/7341848/laura-carstensen-aging-emotions-longevity-stanford/
Liu, F., Chong, E. S. K., Wang, N., Zhang, X., & Bian, X. (2025). Resilience in the face of adversity: The role of impermanence in mitigating the effects of childhood emotional abuse and everyday stress on depressive symptoms. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 17(2), 82–91. https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000516