Welcome to Win Your Week - our weekly blog on all things motivation, mindfulness, life hacks and more!
I was just thinking the other day it seems like the years are getting quicker and quicker!
Who can believe that we are already over halfway through the year.
This reminded me, what happened to slowing down and living in the moment?
As a society it feels like we are always focused on getting one thing done and then quickly moving onto the next. Never really taking the time to appreciate what we are doing in the current moment and what we have accomplished.
This leads to weeks or months going by without us even realising.
While we can’t slow time down, there must be a way to be more in the moment or present, right
Right! This is where being more present and implementing strategies to be more aware of the current moment can help.
But what does this look like in reality?
What Does It Look Like To Be Present?
On the most basic level, being present means being focused on one thing — a conversation, a project, a task in hand — without distraction.
When we are more present, we can be more engaged with life, connected with others, listen more effectively, and remain open-minded and free from judgment.
The benefit of learning how to live in the moment allows us to reduce stress, spend quality time with those we love, and find great joy in all of our experiences.
But how to we practice being present?
Practicing Being Present
Tip #1: Removing Distractions
Well, the first step to being present involves removing those things that distract us from being in the moment.
With constant notifications flashing, pinging and popping up on our devices from the moment we wake up until lights out, it’s incredibly difficult to stay in the present moment. But we always have a choice.
Giving ourselves a few moments each day to close our screen and turn off our volume allows us to think about the here and now — where we priorities how we’re feeling or our breath.
This allows us to take back control on the trajectory of our day, versus the distractions taking control and piling up lower priority items in front of us.
Tip #2: Practice Active Listening
A great way to practise being in the present specifically with others is active listening.
We can give conversations our full attention by making eye contact, asking questions and validating the other person’s experience (e.g., “That must be so difficult” or “I’m sorry to hear that”).
This shows we care about what the other person has to say and that we in the moment participating in the conversation.
Tip #3: Think about how we spend time with others
Another way to be present with other people is being more conscious of how we spend our time with others.
When we see friends or family, or spend time with our partner, how do we pass that time?
Scrolling through our phones together may not be the best way to connect (though there’s nothing wrong with occasionally doing this).
We can try to change up our usual routines and have fun together by playing a board game, gardening, preparing a meal together, creating a partner workout or engaging in a hobby together.
We can also enjoy time together without doing anything in particular. Simply sharing a relaxing moment with a loved one can help strengthen our connection to the present and increase our sense of relaxation and calm.
Tip #4: Meditation
Lastly, we can’t talk about living in the present without mentioning our old friend meditation.
Meditation helps us increase our awareness of the present and increase our concentration on what we are doing at any given time e.g., savouring the taste and fragrance of our morning coffee or enjoying the warmth of the water on our skin as we shower.
At its most basic, meditation involves sitting somewhere that feels calm and quiet, following the sensation of our breath as it goes in and as it goes out, noticing when our mind wanders and simply returning our attention to the breath when it does. Five or 10 minutes a day is a great place to start.
Over to you…
When we find ourselves getting caught up in the motions and not focusing on the present, it helps to focus on the current moment. With an understanding of what it means to live in the present, we can start enjoying the day to day and appreciate what we are doing at any given moment.
Now go ahead and win you week!
All the best,
