How To Be Present & Live In The Moment

How To Be Present & Live In The Moment

Living in the moment can be tough when your mind is focused on anything but that. Most often your mind may worry about things in the future. It’s hard to ignore that worry and the potential burden that comes from future events.

You may also dwell on the past. You may be second-guessing yourself over decisions you have made and questioning certain actions. Both are normal positions to be in but they prevent you from being present and living in the moment.

When you dwell on the past you get caught up in things that are over and done with. There is no way to go back and change them and the longer you hold on to them the harder you make it to live in the present.

Same thing with worrying about the future. The future hasn’t happened yet, and it becomes unhelpful to put too much energy into worrying about things that may or may not happen. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared but when you spend too much time focused on future events, it takes you away from the present moment. This can lead to too much stress and anxiety.

So What are some ways you can be present and live in the moment?

The first thing is to recognise that you can only do one thing at a time. As much as you may think you can take on many things all at once they all can’t get your undivided attention. You can only truly focus on one thing with everything you have in you. When you focus on the past or the future, it makes you slip through the present moment without even being aware or appreciating it.

So focus on the present moment so it doesn’t pass you by. You can do this by focusing on breathing. When you take a moment and focus on deep breathing it helps put you back into the present state. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. This can help calm fears and anxiety and puts you more into the present state.

To be present and live in the moment it’s good to also recognise what you are doing in that present moment. Focus on whatever it is, right now it’s reading so be aware of what’s happening and your thoughts and feelings. In any situation be aware of what is happening around you and how you are feeling. This helps you to be more present instead of focusing on things in the near future like what you will do for dinner or the bills you have to pay. Be aware of the here and now.

It also helps to acknowledge when your mind wanders back to the past or ahead to the future. This isn’t bad and it will always happen but the important part is to catch your mind in the act of doing so and bring it back to the present moment. Don’t feel bad that this has happened but just use it as a course correction to bring yourself back to this moment. Over time you will develop the ability to bring your mind back to the present moment very quick but it is a skill, and it takes practice as any skill does.

This is where you also need to focus on letting things go. This can be the most difficult but it will help you to not focus on the past and be able to live in the moment. When you can let go of things in the past, it can result in freedom and bliss and both things are very important for being present and living in the moment. Holding on to things from the past is like carrying around a lump of hot coal. It will only hurt and burn you so why would you continue to hold it? It needs to be dropped if you are to be present and in the moment.

Another big thing you can do to be present and live in the moment is to practise gratitude. It’s easy to complain and not notice the good things that are going on around you. Even if you feel like there is nothing to be grateful for find something small because they are all around you.

Just the act of searching in your mind for something to be grateful for right now can help put you in the present moment. This makes you more aware of the here and now. It may be something simple such as hearing the wind in the trees or smelling flowers but with both things, it allows you to be fully present. Your focus is now on that moment and not the past or future.

It’s difficult to be present and live in the moment but like anything, it takes work. Over time you can develop this ability more and more and after a while, you can feel happier and more at peace because your focus is on this moment without distractions.