Be Present: How To Live in the Moment
Feeling bogged down by a never-ending to-do list? Join us for a quick discussion about practicing mindfulness and living in the present!
As you’ve probably heard your whole life, living in the present is important. Along with this piece of advice, you’ve likely been told not to be stuck in the past or to stop stressing about the future. But what do these one-liners really mean?
Our team at The Good Patch wanted to help you with real definitions and concrete steps for being more present every day. This article will talk about the benefits, challenges, and best practices for staying in the moment!
The present has two main pieces:
- Here. Wherever you physically find yourself.
- Now. The specific moment in time.
Staying in the here and now can be tough when life seems to be all about dealing with the past and planning for the future. We aren’t telling you to stop setting goals for the future or learning from your past mistakes.
Ultimately, you’ll need to find a healthy balance between the past, present, and future. As confusing as this may seem, we have faith you can trade the daydreams for deep breaths and be more present than ever!
Why Is It Important To Be Present?
There are many mental, emotional, and physical benefits of staying present in the moment. Let’s dive into it.
Health Benefits
Learning to stay more grounded in your daily life can have many benefits to physical and mental health. You may not realize it, but your mind greatly affects your body.
One major facet of mental well-being tackled by being present is stress. Reducing stress through various activities can greatly improve your physical health. Here are a few areas you may see improvement:
- Better cardiovascular health
- A healthier gut
- Fewer muscle aches and pains
- Improved sleep
The list goes on, but believe us; if you’re having a hard time physically, it’s likely worth your while to take a look at your mental state. It may just take a few small changes to make a world of difference!
Improved Relationships
Have you ever been in a conversation and realized you were completely tuned out? You might physically be here, but let’s not forget the power of now.
We’ve all experienced friends who just don’t seem to be fully present. It happens to the best of us. Still, it doesn’t make for the deepest connections.
Though it will take a bit of effort, finding ways to put yourself in the present will make spending time with loved ones all the more enjoyable and fulfilling.
What Difficulties Do We Often Face?
We understand that modern life isn’t the most conducive to being present-minded. The hustle and bustle of work, school, or personal life can make it hard not to be thinking of your upcoming plans and responsibilities.
At the same time, we are constantly documenting our lives through photos, videos, emails, texts, and so on. This means dwelling on the past is almost always at our fingertips.
Smartphones and social media also make it all the easier to find yourself connected to people and places miles away. While technology has done a great job of shrinking these distances, it isn’t ideal for living in the present moment.
Living in the present comes with a level of uncertainty that makes many of us uncomfortable. When you’re accustomed to having everything planned out, it’s hard to let go and stop worrying, but we’re here to help!
How Do You Practice Living in the Present?
Now that we’ve broken down the importance of living in the moment and some of the difficulties we encounter, let’s figure out how to put all this talk into action!
Mindfulness
Mindfulness involves being aware of your thoughts, emotions, sensations, and environment. Despite the long-winded definition, mindfulness is essentially the cornerstone of living in the here and now.
The beauty of mindfulness is you can implement it into almost any part of your daily routine. Through activities ranging from guided breathing exercises to intentionally savoring a meal, there are bound to be little things you can mindfully do each day.
A few of our favorite mindfulness exercises are:
- Body scans. Starting with the top of your head, mentally work your way through your whole body, noticing how you are feeling physically in this moment.
- Mindful walking. Switch off the playlists or podcasts for a moment and take a stroll fully immersed in all the sights, sounds, and smells around you.
- Mindful eating. Rather than speeding through your meals, be fully present by taking in all the visuals and flavors of your delicious food. Chew slowly, savoring and being aware of each bite.
We’ve given you three ideas, but you can find mindfulness in every little thing you do. Turn the chill up a notch with Relax, one of our favorite plant-powered patches. Whether folding laundry or driving to work, do your best to bring awareness and intentionality.
Meditation
When thinking of mindfulness, meditation is often at the front of the conversation. Like mindfulness, this practice involves being as aware and present as possible.
It can be intimidating to get started, so take it easy on yourself at first. Set aside even three minutes in your day to make room for meditation.
The main goal of meditation is not necessarily to be blank but rather to replace subjectivism with objectivism. As your mind wanders from the here and now, gently bring it back to your current state of being, noticing your thoughts and sensations without judgment.
There is no right or wrong when meditating! As you learn, consider using supports like meditation exercises or even our Ultimate Zen Duo to really support your tranquility.
Other Practices and Exercises
In addition to your mindfulness meditations, here are some more ways you can work on letting go of the past and future in favor of the present:
- Keeping a journal and responding to journal prompts
- Practice gratitude, affirmations, and positive self-talk
- Visualizing your day
- Being yourself!
In Conclusion
Living in the moment doesn’t mean cutting off past events or not planning for the future. Instead, it requires a healthy balance of all three.
While you work on your new practices, be gentle with yourself and trust that the small things will add up to have big effects on your life. Before you know it, you’ll realize you’ve learned to live life in the here and now without too much effort at all!
Sources:
Mental Health: How it Affects Your Physical Health | MD
Stress effects on the body | APA.org
Mindfulness Definition | What Is Mindfulness | Berkeley
Mindfulness & Meditation Exercises | VA Salt Lake City Health Care | Veterans Affairs