Finding Yourself in the Present Moment

For many of us, the typical day starts with your alarm clock insisting that you wake up and greet the day. Before your feet even reach the floor, your daily checklist of must-dos and want-to-dos is running through your head. You need to make breakfast, pack lunch, feed the pets, email your boss and don’t forget to call and make that appointment, oh yes, and you forgot to send in that bill yesterday and need to get it taken care of today before you forget. With your first thoughts in the morning you are taken out of the present as you recklessly veer from the past you cannot change to the future filled with obligations and responsibilities. In that moment you lose your connection with the present moment.

It’s important to learn how to find meaning in the present moment, as it allows you a break from flipping back and forth between the past and the future. While your survival often requires a tremendous amount of planning and execution, you also need to know how to be content in the stillness of the present moment. By exercising your mindfulness of the present moment, you will create an escape hatch from stressful situations that allows you to better handle the stresses and pressures of daily life so that you emerge feeling more energized, more positive and more joyful about your life.

It’s not always so simple to retrain your brain to focus on the present moment and find meaning in the small steps that make up your day. These baby steps will help you shift your focus from the past and future and help you stay grounded in the present moment so that you can be fully present in your own life.

Baby Steps to Being in the Moment

Take a Daily Walk

Whether you go by at a fast clip or a leisurely stroll, get out in nature and take a daily walk. The point isn’t to go anywhere or do anything, but to be out in nature. As your daily walks become more frequent, you will find yourself noticing details that you missed from the confines of your car. Instead of thinking of your route or what you have to do back home, focus on your next step and firmly putting one foot in front of the other with confidence. Just don’t get so mindful that you can’t cross a street safely!

Put the Phone Down

Choose a time of day when everyone in your family will put their phones down. Whether you make the rule that there will be no phones at the table or the phones are off after 8 p.m., you need to take away the distraction that keeps you from the present moment. The text or email or sports score can wait. That conversation with someone you love can’t.

Meditate

Too many people say that they can’t meditate because they can’t sit still or they can’t clear their mind. If you find those excuses resonate with you, then you are exactly the person who needs meditation in your life. Remember, meditation is a practice and a commitment. You can’t do it without practicing it and the more you do the more benefits you’ll see in your life. When starting out, sit in a quiet room that is free from distractions. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Listen to the sound of your breath, the rise and fall as you inhale and exhale. As thoughts enter your mind, release them and picture them floating away much like a helium balloon.

It’s important to think of these as exercises and to not get discouraged if you find your mind wandering. Gently redirect your attention to the exercise at hand and keep trying. Your ability to stay in the present and find meaning in the moment will grow with time.