Live in Present Moment
You’ve heard it said many times before that it’s important to live in the present moment.
You may have also have had pieces of advice like:
“Be present in your own life.”
“Don’t get caught up in thinking about the past or the future—live in the now!”
All of these pieces of advice boil down to the same message: it’s vital to live in the present moment.
It’s not easy to live in the present moment given the fast pace and hectic schedules most of us have. We all tend to have a base level of anxiety, stress, and unhappiness in our life.
You may not even realize it, but this tendency to get sucked into the past and the future can leave you perpetually worn out and feeling out of touch with yourself.
What is the Meaning of the Present Moment?
You might be thinking that this all sounds great, but what does it actually mean to “live in the present moment?” How could we be living in anything but the present?
Being in the present moment, or the “here and now,” means that we are aware and mindful of what is happening at this very moment. Living in the present moment means no longer worrying about what happened in the past and not fearing what will happen in the future.
It means enjoying what’s happening now and living for today. All of our attention is focused on the present moment.
Being Present Minded is so Important
Being present minded is the key to staying healthy and happy. It helps you fight anxiety, cut down on your worrying and keeps you grounded and connected to yourself and everything around you. Living in the present is not just a fad or trendy lifestyle tip, it is a way of life that is backed up by good science.
Being present and exerting our ability to be mindful not only makes us happier, it can also help us deal with pain more effectively, reduce our stress and decrease its impact on our health, and improve our ability to cope with negative emotions like fear and anger.
Becoming Mindful
That’s where the concept of mindfulness comes in – cultivation of the present moment. When you’re mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance without judging.
When you become mindful, you’re able to be with your thoughts as they are – neither grasping at them, nor pushing them away. Instead of letting your life go by without living it, you awaken to a richer experience.
Mindful people are generally happier, more exuberant and more secure. They have higher self-esteem, decreased ego involvement and are likely to have less chronic pain and increased immune systems.
Why it Can be Difficult to Live in the present moment
Living in the now can be so difficult for some people and that is because we are encouraged to think about the future or dwell on our past. We see this every day in advertisements, reminders, notifications, messages, and alerts are all so often geared towards the past or the future.
Think about how often you are busy doing something and you are jolted out of your flow by your phone’s sudden alert. Now, think about how often that message or notification helps you stay present and aware of the here and now? your response to that is probably Just about never.
Our phones are incredible pieces of technology that allow us to do so much more and do it so much more efficiently than ever before, but we really need to take a break from our phones at least once in a while.
Other factors that contribute to our inability to live in the now include:
We often edit out the bad parts of our experiences, making our past seem more enjoyable than it really was.
We face a lot of uncertainty when we live in the present, which can cause anxiety.
Our minds simply tend to wander!
It can be tough fighting these factors, but luckily, we are not slaves to this. We can train our brain to overcome our more destructive or harmful urges and make better choices.
Keeping a balance with the Past, Present, and Future
It’s not always bad to think about the past and future sometimes and it can also do some good. Where would we be if we didn’t look back over our past successes and mistakes and learn from them? Where would we be if we never planned for the future or prepared ourselves for what is to come? In both cases, we likely wouldn’t be in a good place.
One of the aims of mindfulness and a key factor in living a healthy life is to balance your thoughts of the past, the present, and the future. Thinking about any of them too much can have serious negative effects on our lives, but keeping the three in balance will help us to be happy and healthy people.
It’s hard to say what the exact right balance is, but you’ll know you’ve hit it when you worry less, experience less stress on a regular basis, and find yourself living the majority of your life in the present.
Tips on how Do You Live in the present Moment
Like we have said before, it’s not always bad to think about the past and future. But living in the present moment means no longer worrying about what happened in the past and not fearing what will happen in the future. It means enjoying what’s happening now and living for today.
Here you will find some tips about how to live in the present moment.
1. Remove unwanted possessions
Minimalism forces you to live in the present. Removing items associated with past memories frees you and allows you to stop living in the past. Once the past no longer has power, you can begin to live in the moment.
2. Fully appreciate the moments of today
Soak in as much of today as you possibly can – the sights, the sounds, the smells, the emotions, the triumph, and the sorrow. These are in our daily lives but we often forget to take them in and truly appreciate them.
3. Forgive past hurts
If you are harbouring resentment towards another human being because of past hurts, choose to forgive and move on. The harm was their fault, but allowing it to impact your mood today is yours. Let go and choose to be present in the moment instead.
4. Smile
Each day is full of endless possibilities! Start it with a smile. You are in control of your attitude every morning, keep it optimistic and expectant. Be intentional about it and you’ll find yourself doing it every day without even realizing it.
5. Subliminal audio
Subliminal audio help reprogram the subconscious part of the mind and can help you stay in the moment. Subliminal audio messages have distinct impacts on people's thoughts and behaviour. Subliminal audio messages can change a person's current mood, boost their motivation, and can change the way you think. Subliminal audio can help you stay present and change your life. You can click on the real subliminal to find the one you need.
6. Dream about the future, but work hard today
Dream big. Set goals and plans for the future. But working hard today is always the first step towards realizing your dreams tomorrow. Don’t allow dreaming about tomorrow to replace living in the moment. Dreaming about the future is only productive when combined with action taken today.
7. Don’t dwell on past accomplishments
If you are still talking about what you did yesterday, you haven’t done much today. There is still plenty of time to build upon past successes and create more memories and achievements for future-you. In the future, you’ll be cherishing the memories of today.
8. Stop worrying
You can’t fully appreciate today if you worry too much about tomorrow. Realize that tomorrow is going to happen whether you worry about it or not. And since worry has never accomplished anything for anybody, redirect your mental energy elsewhere.
9. Think beyond old solutions to problems
Our world is changing so fast that most of yesterday’s solutions are no longer the right answers today. Don’t get locked into a “but that’s how we’ve always done it” mentality. Yesterday’s solutions are not today’s solutions and they are certainly not tomorrow’s solutions.
10. Conquer addictions
Addictions in your life hold you hostage. They keep you from living a completely free life and removes your focus from the moment. Find some help. Take the steps. And remove their influence over your life. Allow yourself to live in the moment addiction-free.
11. Write in a morning journal
Early in the morning, before you’ve headed off to work or school or started checking things off your long to-do list, take a few minutes to pull out a journal or a notebook and make an entry.
Write about anything and everything that crosses your mind. Taking just a few minutes to write down any mindless “chatter” in your head or log any particularly insightful dreams can clear your head and help you start your day off in a mindful state. Remember that the journal is for your eyes only so write anything that comes to your head.
12. Take a mindful nature walk
The next time you feel the need for a walk, whether it’s a quick trip around the block or a lengthy stroll through a pretty, scenic spot—make it a mindful nature walk.
It’s pretty simple to make any walk a mindful walk; all you need to do is engage all your senses and stay aware of what’s happening both around you and within you.
Be intentional with your awareness; notice your feet hitting the ground with each step, see everything there is to see around you, open your ears to all the sounds surrounding you, feel each inhale and exhale, and just generally be aware of what is happening in each moment.
This exercise helps you not only connect to your authentic self, but it also helps connect you to your environment and improves your awareness of the beauty that’s all around, just waiting to be found. Add these benefits to the known benefits of walking regularly—lowered stress, better heart health, and improved mood—and you have one handy exercise.
Ways We Avoid the Present Moment
Unfortunately, society conditions us to avoid being in the present moment. And, there are many ways you can do this.
1. You use the present moment as a means to an end.
Many of us look forward to the future because it’s often seems more appealing than the present. Some people inadvertently wish their lives away by waiting for the weekend or counting down the days to vacation. However, this moment is all you truly ever have because the future isn’t guaranteed. And, quite often, it doesn’t unfold in the way you may think.
2. You believe everything you think
Throughout the day, your mind processes thousands of thoughts. Many of them are worries about the future, regrets from the past, or simply negative. The ego uses these thoughts to strengthen itself. But, you have control over your mind. So, don’t allow excessive thinking pull you away from the richness of the moment.
3. You resist what’s happening
When you’re angry, resentful or unhappy nothing changes. In addition, you accrue karma. So, learn to enjoy all the joyful moments and appreciate the small blessings in your life. You can only transform your life when you accept and embrace the present moment.
4. Complaining
When you complain, you are denying life itself! So, redirect your thinking when you catch yourself. Replace resentment and unhappiness with gratitude. you’ll soon notice that life seems friendlier.
5. Focusing on the Future
The future doesn’t exist because the future always arrives as right now. And, when you’re worried about the future, you miss all the wonderful opportunities the present moment has to offer. When you catch your thoughts wandering, immediately return yourself to the task at hand.
6. The Grass is Greener Syndrome
The grass is not always greener on the other side. Many people have the tendency to search outside of themselves for happiness and fulfilment. However, only you have the power to attract joy and abundance into your life! And, it begins by going inward.
Learning how to live in the present moment is an essential ingredient in a happy life. If you can only live one moment at a time, you might as well make it the present.
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