Awareness of the present moment

35+ Tools to Be More Present

You’ve heard it said before—probably many times—that it’s important to live in the present moment.

You also might have heard similar pieces of advice like:

“Don’t get caught up in thinking about the past or the future—live in the now!”
“Be present in your own life.”
“All you have is this moment. Don’t let it slip away.”

All of these (possibly overused) sayings boil down to the same basic message: it’s vital to live in the present moment.

In our current twenty-first century lives, it’s not easy. There’s always something coming up that we need to prepare for or anticipate, and our lives are so well-documented that it’s never been easier to get lost in the past.

Given the fast pace and hectic schedules most of us keep, a base level of anxiety, stress, and unhappiness is the new norm. 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.

The cure for this condition is what so many people have been saying all along: conscious awareness and a commitment to staying in the “now.” Living in the present moment is the solution to a problem you may not have known you had.

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? Read on to find out!

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our 3 Mindfulness Exercises for free. These science-based, comprehensive exercises will not only help you cultivate a sense of presence and inner peace in your daily life but will also give you the tools to enhance the mindfulness of your clients, students or employees.

This Article Contains:

The Psychology of Living in the Present
What is the Meaning of the Present Moment?
Why is Being Present Minded Important?
Why it Can be Difficult to Live in the Now
Balancing the Past, Present, and Future
How to be Present and Live in the Moment
How to Live in the Moment but Plan for the Future
Using Present Moment Awareness to Stop Worrying
Using Yoga to Connect with the Present Moment
5 Exercises to Strengthen Present Moment Awareness
5 Mindfulness Practices and Tools to use Everyday
7 Recommended YouTube Videos
7 Books Definitely Worth Reading
20 Quotes on the Here and the Now
A Take-Home Message
References

The Psychology of Living in the Present

Living in the present is not just an arbitrary term or a popular phrase—it’s a recognized and evidence-backed lifestyle that psychologists are quick to recommend for those struggling with anxiety and stress in their day-to-day life.

What is the Meaning of the Present Moment?

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. We are not distracted by ruminations on the past or worries about the future, but centered in the here and now. All of our attention is focused on the present moment (Thum, 2008).

As author Myrko Thum tells it, the present moment is all there truly is:

“The present moment is the only thing where there is no time. It is the point between past and future. It is always there and it is the only point we can access in time. Everything that happens, happens in the present moment. Everything that ever happened and will ever happen can only happen in the present moment. It is impossible for anything to exist outside of it.”

Why is Being Present Minded Important?

Being present minded is the key to staying healthy and happy. It helps you fight anxiety, cut down on your worrying and rumination, and keeps you grounded and connected to yourself and everything around you.

Although it has become a popular topic in recent years, 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. (Halliwell, 2017).

Why it Can be Difficult to Live in the Now

Living in the now is so difficult because we are always encouraged to think about the future or dwell on our past. 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 else, perhaps even fully engrossed in it, when you are jolted out of your flow by your phone’s sudden “ding!” Now, think about how often that message or notification helps you stay present and aware of the here and now.

If you’re like me, 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 the tendencies of our brains (Tlalka, 2017). It is possible to overcome our more destructive or harmful urges and make better choices.

Balancing the Past, Present, and Future

It’s good to think about the past and future sometimes.

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.

It’s essential to a healthy life to spend some time thinking about the past and the future, but it’s rare that we don’t think enough about the past or the future—usually our problem is focusing too intently (or even obsessively) on the past or the future.

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.

How to be Present and Live in the Moment

To get to this healthy balance, try to keep these guidelines in mind:

Think about the past in small doses, and make sure you are focusing on the past for a reason (e. g., to relive a pleasant experience, identify where you went wrong, or figure out the key to a past success).
Think about the future in small doses, and make sure you are focusing on the future in a healthy, low-anxiety way (e.g., don’t spend time worrying about the future, think about the future just long enough to prepare for it and then move on).
Stay in the present moment for the vast majority of your time.

Of course, following these guidelines is easier said than done, but it will get easier with practice!

How to Live in the Moment but Plan for the Future

It might seem complicated to figure out this delicate balance, but it’s not as complex as it seems.

When we engage in mindfulness or present moment meditation, we are not ignoring or denying thoughts of the past or future, we are simply choosing not to dwell on them. It’s okay to acknowledge and label our past- and future-focused thoughts, categorize them, and be aware of their importance.

The important point is to not allow yourself to get swept up in thinking about the past or future. As Andy Puddicombe of Headspace states,

“…we can be present when consciously reflecting on events from the past (as opposed to being caught up, distracted and overwhelmed by the past”

(2015).

When we are aware and present, we don’t need to worry about getting caught up in thoughts of our past or anxiety about our future—we can revisit our past and anticipate what is to come without losing ourselves.

Using Present Moment Awareness to Stop Worrying

Speaking of worry, present moment awareness is a great way to cut down on how much you worry.

Follow these six steps to become more attuned to the present and rid yourself of excess anxiety:

Cultivate unselfconsciousness: let go and stop thinking about your performance.
Practice savoring: avoid worrying about the future by fully experiencing the present.
Focus on your breath: allow mindfulness to make you more peaceful and smooth your interactions with others.
Find your flow: make the most of your time by losing track of it.
Improve your ability to accept: move toward what is bothering you rather than denying or running away from it.
Enhance your engagement: work on reducing moments of mindlessness and noticing new things to improve your mindfulness (Dixit, 2008).

Using Yoga to Connect with the Present Moment

You will probably not be surprised to hear that yoga is an excellent way to get connected to the present and stay in the moment.

There are many reasons why yoga is helpful for mindfulness, but one of the biggest is certainly the focus on the breath.

As yoga teacher and enthusiast Kelle Yokeley says,

“The path to presence is through our mind, body connection—our path is through our breath. The breath is ALWAYS the here and now, it is the ultimate present moment… Our breath is our constant connection to the here and now, and our presence is rooted in its flow. ”

(Yokeley, 2014).

When we focus our attention on our breath, we have no choice but to be in the present.

To bring yourself back into the present in a moment of stress or when you’re feeling overwhelmed by the past or the future, you can try this breathing exercise from Yokeley:

Breath in and say to yourself, “I am breathing in”, breathe out saying, “I am breathing out.” On your next circle of breath, try saying to yourself, “I am here” coupled with “This is now”

(Yokeley, 2014).

This simple exercise will bring you straight to the present, even dragging along a stubborn mind that is preoccupied with worries.

Another factor associated with yoga that allows us to boost our present moment awareness is the postures and poses that we make with our bodies. You might find that as soon as you get into a good pose, your mind becomes flooded with restless thoughts (called “Monkey Mind” by Buddhists).

As irritating as this can be, it’s actually a good thing—it means that we are beginning to process our stress and getting to a point where we can truly practice mindfulness (Bielkus, 2012).

Yoga’s gentle flow from one position to the next is a perfect opportunity to cultivate the ability to stay present. The transitions mimic the changes we experience as we go from working to resting to cooking to cleaning to sleeping and everything else in between.

If you enjoy yoga and want to work on your present moment awareness, give this affirmation a try:

“I am present and aware of this moment it is full and it is great.”

(Bielkus, 2012)

5 Exercises to Strengthen Present Moment Awareness

If the breathing exercise above sounds helpful, you might want to try some other exercises intended to boost your mindfulness and sense of present moment awareness. These 5 exercises are some good ways to get started.

Do a mindful body scan

This simple exercise is a great way to get yourself in a mindful mood and get in touch with your body. Doing this in the morning can also help you get your day off to a good start.

While sitting or lying down on your bed (just make sure not to fall asleep if you try this lying down!), take a few deep, mindful breaths. Notice the way your breath enters and exits your lungs.

Starting with your toes, focus your attention on one part of your body at a time. Pay attention to how that area is feeling and notice any sensations that you are experiencing (Scott, n.d.). After a few moments of focused attention, move up to the next part of your body (i.e., after your toes, focus on your feet, then ankles, then calves, etc.).

This is not only a good method for putting you in a mindful state right off the bat, it can also help you notice when your body is feeling differently than normal. You might catch an injury or illness that you wouldn’t normally notice, just by taking a few minutes each morning to scan your body.

You can learn more about the mindful body scan and other exercises here.

Write in a journal / “Morning pages”

Another good exercise that can help you set the right mindful tone for the day is to write in your journal. A specific version of this exercise that is endorsed by author Julia Cameron is called “Morning Pages. ”

Here’s how to use your journal as a stepping block to a more mindful day.

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 your journal or a notebook and make an entry.

You can do a new page each day and simply write however much you feel like writing, or you can try Cameron’s Morning Pages exercise:

“Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages—they are not high art. They are not even “writing.” They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind—and they are for your eyes only.

Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize, and synchronize the day at hand” (Cameron, n.d., as cited in Scott, n.d.).

Whether you follow Cameron’s guidelines or not, 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.

Visualize your daily goals

Visualizing your goals is an excellent method for not only making it more likely that you will follow through on your goals, it can also help you become more mindful on a regular basis.

When you have set your daily goals (see #15 – Define Three Daily Goals on this list if you need help with this piece), take a few moments to visualize each one (Scott, n.d.).

See yourself undertaking each goal and completing each goal today. Get as much detail as you can in your visualization, so it feels real and within your reach.

When you can see yourself checking that daily goal off your list, move on to the next goal and repeat until you have visualized all of your daily goals.

Practicing visualization of goal completion can not only help you improve your focus and mindfulness, it can also lower your stress, improve your performance, enhance your preparedness, and give you the extra energy or motivation you might need to accomplish everything on your list.

Take a mindful nature walk

Taking advantage of the natural beauty around us is another good way to cultivate greater mindfulness.

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!

Conduct a mindful review of your day

It can be easy to get tired and worn out by the end of the day and let things slip. To help you keep that mindful tone at the end of the day, try this exercise.

Towards the end of your day, perhaps after you finish all of your “must-dos” for the day or right before heading off to bed, take a few minutes to do a review of your day (Scott, n.d.).

Think back to the start of the day and remember your mindfulness exercise that kicked it all off. Think about how it made you feel.

Think through the rest of your day, being sure to note any particularly mindful moments or memorable events. Take stock of your mood as you moved through your daily routine.

If you want to keep track of your progress towards greater mindfulness, it’s a great idea to write all of this down in a journal or a diary; however, the point is to give yourself yet another opportunity to be mindful and end your day on the right note.

5 Mindfulness Practices and Tools to use Everyday

One of the best tools to keep yourself in the present moment is meditation.

Any meditation will do, but there are some meditation practices geared specifically towards present moment awareness.

To give this meditation a try, follow these simple steps:

Set aside a regular block of time during your day (e.g., 5 minutes first thing in the morning or before you go to bed).
Get in a comfortable position—but not too comfortable! You don’t want to fall asleep when you’re trying to meditate. Sitting upright may be the best posture.
Set up an “inner gatekeeper” to control what comes in and what must stay out of the mind. Instruct the gatekeeper to keep out any thoughts of the past or the future for the rest of your current practice.
Repeat this phrase silently to yourself three times: “Now is the time to be aware of the present moment. I let go of the past and the future.”
Turn your attention towards the sounds you hear. Allow them to wash over you and focus only on the current sound you are hearing, not the one you just heard or any sound you may hear next.
Focus on your bodily sensations: your arms resting on the arms of a chair or on your lap, your legs on the chair or folded up underneath you, the feel of your clothing on your skin, any pain or muscle aches, any twitches or flutterings, and any other sensations you might be feeling.
Turn your focus to the thoughts going through your head. Observe them as they enter your mind, swirl around your consciousness, then exit your mind. Let each thought pass, labeling them as they go (e.g., “hurt” or “happy”) and keeping your mind open for the next thought to arise.
Finally, focus on your breathing. Notice your natural breathing pattern and take note of how your chest rises and falls with each breath (Henshaw, 2013).

Although mindfulness meditation is a pretty broad catch-all term for the types of techniques that help you be more mindful and more committed to the present moment, there are some specific kinds of mindful meditations that you can try.

These kinds include:

Basic mindfulness meditation: focusing on your breathing, a word, or a mantra and allowing thoughts to come and go without judgment.
Body sensations: being aware of bodily sensations like itching, tingling, soreness, or a tickling sensation and accepting them without judgment, then letting them pass.
Sensory: being aware of what you are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching without judgment, then labeling them and letting the sensations pass.
Emotions: allowing emotions to be present in yourself without judging or trying to neutralize them; practicing the naming/labeling of the emotions and allowing them to arise and letting them go just as easily.
Urge surfing: coping with cravings by accepting them without judgment, noticing how you feel as they hit, and reminding yourself that they will pass (HelpGuide, n.d.).

A Look at Present Moment Psychotherapy

If you find yourself struggling to use these techniques or implement these tools and tricks, and/or if you are dealing with a diagnosed mental disorder like depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, present moment psychotherapy may be just what you need.

Present moment psychotherapy is like any other type of therapy, but it adds a twist with its focus on present moment awareness.

As therapist and founder of Present Moment Psychotherapy & Coaching Adrienne Glasser states, present moment psychotherapy is about “regulating our nervous system through an integration of traditional therapeutic modalities with modern, experiential modalities and meditation” (n.d.).

You may find this focus on being present and mindful to be a powerful complement to traditional, evidence-based methods of treatment.

6 Recommended YouTube Videos

To get a quick, comprehensive explanation of living in the present, learn about why living in the present is so good for you, or get some guidance on being present and mindful, give these YouTube videos a try:

The Present Moment – Alan Watts Wisdom from The Motiv8

Sam Harris – It Is Always Now from AJ Salas

Want to be happier? Stay in the Moment – Matt Killingsworth from TED

Surrender Yourself to the Present Moment – Dharma Talk by Thich Nhat Hanh from plumvillageonline

Oprah & Eckhart Tolle – Living in the Present Moment from Fearless Soul

Here’s a Simple, Proven Way to Live in the Moment from Mel Robbins

7 Books Definitely Worth Reading

If you’re interested in learning more about the present moment or getting some extra tips and tricks on cultivating mindfulness, check out these books:

Present Moment Wonderful Moment: Mindfulness Verses for Daily Living by Thich Nhat Hanh (Amazon)
A Guide to the Present Moment by Noah Elkrief (Amazon)
You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment by Thich Nhat Hanh (Amazon)
10-Minute Mindfulness: 71 Habits for Living in the Present Moment by S. J. Scott and Barrie Davenport (Amazon)
Present Moment Awareness: A Simple, Step-by-Step Guide to Living in the Now by Shannon Duncan (Amazon)
The Present Moment: 365 Daily Affirmations by Louise Hay (Amazon)
How to Live in the Present Moment, Version 2.0 – Let Go of the Past and Stop Worrying About the Future by Matt Morris and Shah Faisal Ahmad (Amazon)

You can also check out our comprehensive list of the top 50 mindfulness books.

20 Quotes on the Here and the Now

For a great list of quotes on living in the present moment, check out this piece from Habits for Wellbeing. Their 20 quotes include:

Life is available only in the present moment. If you abandon the present moment you cannot live the moments of your daily life deeply.

Thich Nhat Hanh

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

Buddha

Mindfulness isn’t difficult, we just need to remember to do it.

Sharon Salzberg

Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry—all forms of fear—are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.

Eckhart Tolle

You’ll seldom experience regret for anything that you’ve done. It is what you haven’t done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear. Do it! Develop an appreciation for the present moment. Seize every second of your life and savor it. Value your present moments. Using them up in any self-defeating ways means you’ve lost them forever.

Wayne Dyer

The next message you need is always right where you are.

Ram Dass

When you are here and now, sitting totally, not jumping ahead, the miracle has happened. To be in the moment is the miracle.

Osho

The only time we suffer is when we believe a thought that argues with what is. When the mind is perfectly clear, “what is” is what we want.

Byron Katie

The only time you ever have in which to learn anything or see anything or feel anything, or express any feeling or emotion, or respond to an event, or grow, or heal, is this moment, because this is the only moment any of us ever gets. You’re only here now; you’re only alive in this moment.

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Remember then: there is only one time that is important—now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power.

Leo Tolstoy

Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed.

Wayne Dyer

The meeting of two eternities, the past and the future… is precisely the present moment.

Henry David Thoreau

The more I give myself permission to live in the moment and enjoy it without feeling guilty or judgmental about any other time, the better I feel about the quality of my work.

Wayne Dyer

You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land, there is no other life but this.

Henry David Thoreau

What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind.

Buddha

Living in the present moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift.

Oprah Winfrey

The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.

Abraham Maslow

Past and future are in the mind only—I am now.

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

When you have an intense contact of love with nature or another human being, like a spark, then you understand that there is no time and that everything is eternal.

Paulo Coelho

I have realized that the past and future are real illusions, that they exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is.

Alan Watts

A Take-Home Message

I hope you’ve enjoyed this piece and learned something that you can apply in your own life to help you cultivate a better sense of mindfulness.

If you take just one thing home from reading this piece, make sure that it’s this: being mindful is extremely easy! Yes, it takes work and effort to create a sustained mindfulness practice, but it’s incredibly easy to take a pause and be mindful at any random moment throughout the day—like right now!

If you don’t have the time or the energy for any of the more involved exercises right now, that’s okay. Simply stop a few times a day and take a mindful moment. The more you do it, the better you’ll get at being mindful, and soon it will be second nature to you.

What are your thoughts on living in the present? Do you have any tips or tricks to share? What do you find are the most impactful benefits of living in the present? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our 3 Mindfulness Exercises for free.

Bielkus, S. (2012). The present moment: Where the body meets the mind in yoga class. Health Yoga Life. Retrieved from https://healthyogalife.com/the-present-moment-where-the-body-meets-the-mind-in-yoga-class-by-aida-bielkus/
Cameron, J. (n.d.). Morning pages. Live the Artist’s Way. Retrieved from https://juliacameronlive.com/basic-tools/morning-pages/
Dixit, J. (2008). The art of now: Six steps to living in the moment. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www. psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200811/the-art-now-six-steps-living-in-the-moment
Glasser, A. (n.d.). Present moment psychotherapy: About. Present Moment Psychotherapy & Coaching. Retrieved from http://www.presentmomentpsychotherapy.com/about/
Halliwell, E. (2017). The science and practice of staying present through difficult times. Mindful. Retrieved from https://www.mindful.org/science-practice-staying-present-difficult-times/
HelpGuide. (n.d.). Benefits of mindfulness. HelpGuide.org. Retrieved from https://www.helpguide.org/harvard/benefits-of-mindfulness.htm
Henshaw, S. (2013). How to do present moment awareness meditation. Psych Central. Retrieved from https://psychcentral.com/blog/how-to-do-present-moment-awareness-meditation/
Puddicombe, A. (2015). How do you live in the moment and plan for the future? Headspace. Retrieved from https://www.headspace.com/blog/2015/05/07/thinking-about-the-future/
Scott, S. J. (n.d.). 71 mindfulness exercises for living in the present moment. Develop Good Habits. Retrieved from https://www.developgoodhabits.com/mindfulness-exercises/
Thum, M. (2008). What is the present moment? Myrko Thum. Retrieved from http://www.myrkothum.com/what-is-the-present-moment/
Tlalka, S. (2017). Why it’s hard to live in the present moment. Mindful. Retrieved from https://www.mindful.org/hard-live-present-moment/
Wokeley, K. (2014). Being present. Yoga Mindset. Retrieved from http://yogamindset.com/meditation/being-present/

How Present-Moment Awareness Can Make Life More Meaningful

Presence is meditation in motion. It is the practice of bringing mindfulness into the activities of everyday life. We can practice the art of being here, now, while waiting in a long grocery store line, changing a baby’s diaper, or sitting in traffic.

Presence involves a simple yet incredible shift—from the ordinary state of mind wandering to bringing our attention to the experience of what is happening right now. You can make this shift anytime, anywhere.

Why develop this habit? Spiritual leaders and philosophers have attempted to answer this question for thousands of years. And yet Ferris Bueller (the impetuous high school student from the classic 1986 film) might just have the best answer: “Life moves pretty fast,” he warned. “If you don’t stop and look around for a while, you might miss it.”

He’s right. Life without presence moves pretty fast. When we wake up, go to work, and do the other things we need to do, we often operate on autopilot; the days fly by, as do the weeks, months, and years. In fact, scientists have confirmed that this experience of time “flying by” increases with age. With each passing year, the novelty of life diminishes and our perception of time accelerates.

When we wake up, go to work, and do the other things we need to do, we often operate on autopilot; the days fly by, as do the weeks, months, and years.

This has led the mindfulness teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn to argue that if you really want to live a longer life, presence—not drugs, healthy eating, or any other strategy—is the best solution. You may not actually live longer in terms of calendar time, but your experience of life and your perception of time will expand. The days, months, and years can be richer, more meaningful, and more fully lived.

Appreciating the fall leaves, listening to the crunch under your feet as you walk on the winter snow, smelling the scents of flowers or fresh-cut grass, feeling the warmth of the summer sun—these simple acts of presence slow life down. They help us go through each day feeling more alive, awake, and content.

There are other benefits, too. Presence doesn’t simply change the quality of being. It can also transform the quality of what you do, leading to greater creative flow, enhanced relationships, and increased productivity at home and at work.

Through developing the habit of presence, we can get in touch with the fundamental wonder of what it is to be alive, and even the most ordinary moments become extraordinary.

How to Stay in the Present Moment

But it’s not that simple. There’s also something quite mysterious about this moment. It’s not like the past, which stretches infinitely behind us. It’s also not like the future, which stretches infinitely ahead. In fact, the moment you try to capture it, it’s gone. It becomes just another part of the past.

Philosophers have strived to define the present moment. While some have seen it as almost nonexistent—fleeting and infinitely thin—others saw it as having infinite depth.

In fact, the ancient Greeks identified three ways that opening to the present moment increases the depth of our experience and productive possibilities of each moment. First, when we fully experience what is here and now, we no longer postpone what we most want. We live our fullest life now. The philosopher Epicurus captures this ethos of urgency:

“We are only born once—twice is not allowed—and it is necessary that we shall be no more, for all eternity; and yet you, who are not master of tomorrow, you keep on putting off your joy?”

This is something many of us have experienced. Have you ever heard the shocking and sad news that someone close to you has died and then thought, Am I living life as fully and as presently possible? Death makes us acutely aware of our aliveness and the preciousness of each moment.

Second, attending to the present moment enables us to take advantage of the full range of possibilities that exist in each moment. This helps us adapt to even the most challenging situations. If you’re stuck at the airport with a long delay, you can let your mind swirl with thoughts about the past and future: I should have taken the earlier flight or I am going to be so late and tired. Or you can experience the power of the present moment and take advantage of the new possibilities available to you as a result of the delay: go for a brisk walk through the concourse, read for pleasure, eat a meal, or catch up with friends on the phone.

When we manage to enter the razor-thin moment of presence, something amazing happens: anxieties and resentments dissolve. We experience more ease, calm, and peace.

Being present opens up a third possibility: happiness and well-being. When we spend the day traveling through the past and future, we tend to get trapped in a host of negative emotions, from anxiety to irritation to resentment. The Epicurean school of ancient Greek thought used sayings like this: “Senseless people live in hope for the future, and since this cannot be certain, they are consumed by fear and anxiety.”

When we manage to enter the razor-thin moment of presence, something amazing happens: anxieties and resentments dissolve. We experience more ease, calm, and peace. In short, we experience more well-being. What is the present moment? This almost sounds like a trick question. Everyone knows that the present moment is what’s happening now. The wind in the trees, the touch of fabric against your skin, your dog brushing up against your leg.

The Science and Practice of Presence

The science on this is clear. Spending more time in the present moment leads to greater happiness. A Harvard University study conducted in 2010 by Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert, for example, revealed that happiness is inversely related to mind wandering—the amount of time that we spend time traveling through thoughts about past and future.

Killingsworth and Gilbert discovered that most of us spend a lot of time mind wandering—distracted from the present moment. In fact, the average person spends 47 percent of the day mind wandering: thinking about something other than his or her present activity.

Their key insight, however, wasn’t just that our minds wander. It was the link between presence and happiness. Killingsworth concluded, “How often our minds leave the present and where they tend to go is a better predictor of our happiness than the activities in which we are engaged.” In other words, this landmark study shows that one of the keys to happiness lies in simply redirecting our attention from mind wandering and distraction to what’s happening right here, right now in the present moment.

A Practice to Shift Your Attention to the Present Moment

Notice—see if you can become aware—each time you step into the shower.
Shift your attention to the sights, sounds, and sensations of the present moment. To do this, we recommend that you ground your feet and bring your attention to your breath. Use what we call the “4×4 breath” or the box breath—four counts in, four counts out, for four breaths. This move will help you begin building the habit of shifting your attention from mind wandering and stress to the present moment.
Rewire—encode this experience deep into your memory by savoring it for just 15 to 30 seconds.

Quick Tips

Do it every day: Practice presence every day and, if you forget to do it in the shower, practice presence during some other everyday life moment, such as walking up the stairs or starting your car.
How to remember to do it: The most difficult thing about building this habit is remembering. To help you remember, we have developed a low-tech but extremely effective method. Put a sticker at eye level on your shower door. If you don’t want to use a sticker (or don’t have a shower door), you could use a piece of masking tape with “Presence” written on it. After a month or so, once the habit is ingrained, you may find that you no longer need it.
How you know it’s working: After a couple of weeks or a month, you will likely start to notice that you no longer need to consciously remember to experience presence. It just starts to happen as you enter the shower. This is the magic moment of habit formation. It means that your brain has wired a new set of connections around this everyday activity.
If you want more: If you have mastered the habit in the shower, try adding an advanced cue: stairs. Every time you walk up or down a flight of stairs, see if you can be present. This is a perfect time to feel the sensations in your feet or to bring your attention to the sights and sounds that occur as you step. This additional cue will take you even deeper into the experience of presence.

Adapted from Start Here: Master the Lifelong Habit of Wellbeing by Eric Langshur and Nate Klemp, PhD.

Awareness of the PRESENT MOMENT. Good sleep

AWARENESS OF THE PRESENT MOMENT

In order to feel freedom, we must have awareness of the present moment, live here and now. The opposite of present-moment awareness is time-limited awareness, escaping into the past and future, and the emotion that accompanies it is fear.

The great poet Rumi once said: "Get out of the circle of time and enter into the circle of love." The best way to prepare for the future is to be fully in the present moment. And so the sole purpose of a free man's life should be to perceive things crystal clear as they really are, and to cast aside preconceived notions, definitions, interpretations and judgments. nine0003

In a state of pure awareness, we see the world as it is. A person in this state of consciousness is truly free, and he can give support to whatever he wants. In this state of consciousness, desires and dreams germinate like seeds left in the ground and waiting for the right season to blossom into flowers and beautiful gardens.

What we encounter in life is the result of our focusing our attention. In fact, we are the quality of our perception. If our attention is fragmented and we feel fragmented, then we are truly fragmented. When our attention is directed to the past, we are in the past. When our attention is directed to the future, we are also in a fictional future. But when our attention is in the present, we are confronted with the very energy of life. All problems, including insomnia, are the result of our attention shifting from present moment awareness to time-limited awareness. nine0003

Present moment awareness is the free and spontaneous movement of the flow of attention, the flow of perception, the flow of the universal mind, the flow of nature through our physiology. And when we shift our attention from the object to our own self, our physiology will begin to act in resonance with life energy.

And then it turns out that to become an object of directedness (with self-directedness) instead of being directed to some external object is, in fact, the simplest thing we can do. It's simple, because being our own Self is our nature. There is nothing closer to us than our Self. Just because we are used to difficulties, it seems to us that it is very difficult to be ourselves. But to start moving on the path of self-directedness is the most natural, easy and pleasant thing that a person can do. nine0003

In the process of exploring ourselves, we discover our close connection with nature and understand that this connection can never be broken. To be turned to oneself means to be in harmony with one's individual nature and with nature in general. This is the true and only way to perfect health.

It is very significant that the word used in Ayurveda for "health", svastiya, literally means affirmation in one's own Self. Thus, even in the word itself we see this deep truth that the basis of perfect health, which, certainly includes freedom from insomnia, is a connection with oneself. nine0003

Where can you find your Self? It can be found in our consciousness, where we feel it boundless, whole and absolutely in harmony with nature. At this level, everything we do becomes natural and life-affirming. At this level, we act spontaneously, intuitively, and all our actions contribute to maintaining balance and health.

1. Present participle of active voice

nine0002 1. Present participle of active voice Unlike Russian, Latin has only one participle for each tense: the present participle of the active voice and the past participle of the passive voice.

Chapter 42 Choosing the Right Moment to Attack the Disease

Chapter 42 Treating a disease is like fighting an enemy. The "Canon of Huangdi on the internal" says: "The treatise "The Art of War" recommends not to oppose an army that has a high combat readiness, and not to attack the army,

Topic 5 Awareness. Introduction

Theme 5 Awareness. Introduction We have already mentioned the word "awareness" in the previously described practices. In this section, we will discuss its meaning and meaning in some detail, for it lies at the very foundation of yoga and its methods. To get the most benefit from the contents of this book,

Topic 6 Meditation. Body awareness

nine0002 Theme 6 Meditation. body awareness In the previous topic, we explained the need to develop awareness. Everything that is done in yoga should be done with as much awareness as possible in order to develop the potential of awareness to the maximum. All yoga practices, whether asanas, pranayama or

Step 2: admitting guilt

Step 2: admitting guilt We have come to the age-old question: who is to blame? A mistake in human nature that kills millions of people just because they like to eat tasty and a lot? Or are metabolic disorders that need to be corrected with a pill to blame? Or the reason lies0003

220.

Exercise 3. Breath awareness

220. Exercise 3. Breath awareness Having prepared the diaphragm for the development of full breathing, you can proceed to the awareness of the breathing process itself. It is very important! To learn how to breathe correctly, you need to take your breath under the control of consciousness. This will allow you to learn

Mastering Present Moment Skills

Mastering the skills of awareness of the present moment If at times you are overwhelmed with emotions, then the audio recordings of the Research will help you strengthen your body and energy field - this kind of container within which you can hold and modulate the entire spectrum of

Chapter 2 The Importance of Today

Chapter 2 Importance of today The leading goal of the coming century should be the spiritual rebirth of the people of our planet. In essence, this is an alternative to the extermination of mankind. N. P. Bekhtereva The importance of the present moment lies in the fact that time itself is like

Breath Awareness Exercise

Breath awareness exercise Starting position: lie on the floor, close your eyes. Relax and mentally look around your whole body - from the tips of your toes to your head. If a focus of tension is found in any zone, you need to strengthen it and immediately reset it by moving

How to achieve real prosperity

nine0002 How to achieve real well-being When you suffer from chronic pain, illness, or stress, life often becomes unbearable. It may seem that the whole world is against you, that it is literally created in order to make your life as difficult as possible. The heaviest

10 Awareness of the present moment.

Being: the final result 10 Awareness of the present moment. Genesis: the final result nine0002 WikiReading

Genesis: Final Summary
Jill Nathan

Contents

10 Present moment awareness

How can I stay aware of the present moment?

How can you leave it? There is only awareness of the present. This is what you are, and that "in" what "you" appear.

nine0022 Is it true that within three days from the moment of receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ one should not spit?

Is it true that within three days from the moment of receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ, one should not spit? Priest Afanasy Gumerov, resident of the Sretensky Monastery After Communion, you must take part of the prosphora and drink it down. Well, if possible, rinse your mouth and

Total number of people since creation

The total number of people since creation Although it is impossible to accurately calculate the total number of people, it is still interesting to roughly calculate how many people have been born since their appearance. In this case, it would be appropriate to use formula 2, if we can

3. Three moments of Paul's intervention (27:21-38)

3. Three Moments of Paul's Intervention (27:21-38) So far, Luke has described Paul as an Apostle to the Gentiles, a pioneer who undertook three missionary expeditions, imprisoned and defending himself. Now Luke presents him in a completely different light. Here Paul is not

The upbringing of children begins from the moment they are conceived

The upbringing of children begins from the moment they are conceived. The upbringing of children begins from the moment they are conceived. The fetus in the mother's womb hears and feels. Yes, he hears, but he sees through the eyes of his mother. He perceives her movements and feelings, despite the fact that his mind has not yet developed.

BARDO: PRESENT EXPERIENCE

BARDO: THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PRESENT The last key word in the title of the treatise is bardo. It is this term that reveals the characteristic features of these texts and allows them to be distinguished into a special group. Trungpa Rinpoche and I chose to keep this Tibetan word in translation,

Real student code

Real student code There is one mysterious figure in the history of early Christianity, about which our Church deliberately keeps silent. I think she has her reasons. In all four Gospels and in the Book of Acts, a disciple named Thomas is mentioned. But everything seems to be

A. Special conditions of this study.

A. Special conditions of the present study. I. Everything stated in the previous chapter, aims to facilitate understanding of contemporary phenomena in Russia. The extraordinary volume of the task, the breadth and complexity of the problems it touches upon, along with the rapid development of events, equally as with

PRESENT CHURCH

CHURCH PRESENT The parable of the vineyard is not only about the Jewish nation. It contains a lesson for us too. The church of this generation has been gifted by God with great privileges and blessings, and He expects a corresponding reward. We have been redeemed

XVIII. On changes to this Charter

XVIII. On changes to this Charter 1. This Charter is valid for the entire Russian Orthodox Church.2. From the moment of the adoption of this Charter, the Charter on the administration of the Russian Orthodox Church, adopted by the Local Council on June 8, 19, becomes invalid.88 years (with additions,

48 A WOMAN INTRODUCED A PIECE OF TISSUE INTO THE VAGINA AND DISCOVERED A DROP OF BLOOD - FROM WHAT POINT SHE IS RITUALLY UNCLEAN

48 A WOMAN INTRODUCED A PIECE OF TISSUE INTO THE VAGINA AND DISCOVERED A DROP OF BLOOD - SINCE WHAT IS IT RITUALLY UNCLEAN A woman from whose uterus a drop of blood has flowed into her vagina is considered unclean. Moreover, the touch of this woman to food and vessels makes them ritually

Features of real incense:

Features of real censing: a) its performer Since the censing at the beginning of the vigil is the first in the circle of daily services, it is performed with special solemnity and is described with the same detail as in ch.

Learn more