Being present has been a huge focus of mine over the past few months. I recently realized that I am constantly either living in the past or the future. I would either relive everything and wondering what I could have done better or I am worrying and stressing about all the possibilities of the future. Well, what is actually suffering while doing all this is the present and most importantly, the present me.
Have you ever heard of the phrase ‘worrying means you suffer twice’? This really hit home for me. Everyone who knows me knows that I am someone who worries all the time. And because of that I always have a plan for all the eventualities of life. And while being prepared is a good thing, you simply cannot live your whole life anticipating the world to end next week. Okay, this might be a bit of an exaggeration but you get the picture.
So how am I actually trying to be more present?
Take action whenever you can, or let go.
Just because you should focus on the present, doesn’t mean you should always completely ignore your worries. If you are worried about your finances, maybe book a consultation with an advisor. If you are worried about the strange noise that is coming from your cars motor, get it checked out. But if you are worrying about things you can’t change or you can’t prevent, then you need to let go and simply accept that there are things out of control. And most of the time, they won’t happen and if they do, they probably won’t kill you.
Declutter.
How are we supposed to enjoy and fully take in the present if our surroundings are constantly cluttered? It is important to not only declutter your possessions, like your closet or the kitchen cupboard you can barely close anymore, but also your digital and emotional life. Go through your following list on social media and declutter the list from anything and anyone that is not serving you positivity. And if you are still holding onto any kind of relationship in your life that is bringing you nothing but negativity, guilt or hurt, let go.
Smile.
Sometimes you just gotta fake it til you make it. And if that means smiling even when you don’t feel like it, then so be it. The worst that can happen is, that nothing happens and you keep on worrying. But what if it helps? It won’t hurt to give it a try.
Keep on dreaming.
Okay, just because I am saying we should live more in the moment, I don’t want you to stop dreaming. I actually think that dreaming big helps us to be happier, to have ambition and to feel a sense of purpose in life. It’s all about balance. Don’t worry too much, don’t dream too much. Try and find the balance and you will be alright.
Schedule screen time.
It is no secret that technology and the increasing consumption of digital media lead us to being less and less present. So think about yourself and your habits when it comes to screen time. It is probably time to rethink and reschedule. Maybe you try out the rule of not being on your phone or laptop past 8pm or maybe you won’t pick up social media before noon? Whatever suits you and your lifestyle, scheduling screen-free time is always a good idea.
I say it again, yoga.
You are probably sick of hearing me talk about yoga, but I just have to say it again. Yoga has helped me massively this year in my surge of being more present. There is something about the flow of movements that makes me completely stop thinking about the past or the future. I just exist. If you haven’t tried it yet, please do! However, I think that exercise, in general, is a great tool that helps you to be more present and focused.
What do you do to be more present?
