Living in the Present Moment I wanted to try out something different on the show as I was getting bored of the usual pattern. So I will be co-hosting with Janelle Anderson and do a four-part series. Today, we are talking about living in the present. I read an article called “Living in the Moment” by Zorka Hereford which came out in essentiallifeskills.net. We have been hearing about living in the present and mindfulness a lot, and it is something that I think we all should try. By being present in the moment, you can get in touch with your feelings and thoughts and become more connected with others. We can become more relaxed and peaceful and derive a higher sense of gratitude towards life. Living in the Present To be in the present mean to be conscious of all of your senses geared to perceive the moment. It is not an easy task especially if you are new at it. Our minds have a habit of wandering off! Janelle talks about a trip with her daughter where she went on a hike. Both of them were sitting on top of a small bridge, and she utilized all her senses to take at the moment. It was like taking a picture which gets imprinted in your heart and stays forever! But she could have ruined it all just by thinking about walking back or what they were going to have in lunch. Don't let your Past ruin your Present Many of us also have the habit of letting the past ruin our present moment. We feel regret, get mad or upset because we haven't dealt with the past. We keep on ruminating on the things that happened again and again and end up impacting our present and the future. You need to go back, revisit your past and accept that you cannot change it. You need to learn from it and let it go. Some people have difficulty in dealing with their past. They hold it in and refuse to let it go. Therapy can be a good option for such people which helps them unpack their past and look at it from a different perspective. One technique that Janelle learned as a coach can help us to live life without getting attached to the outcomes. It is called detached involvement which is a way to experience life as you observe it. If we can practice this, then we will be able to go along with any outcome and accept it. Full attention is the key to be in the present. You should also not let thoughts of future meddle with the present moment. Tips to be Living in the Present The author provides us with six helpful tips to be in the present. Let's go over them! * Teach yourself to focus on the present moment. It needs a lot of training, and you need to have a genuine intention to do so. You can develop the habit with gradual practice and then it would come naturally to you all the time. * Get engaged in whatever you are doing and enjoying the process. You should use all your senses to take in a moment and tune in – listen to the bird's chirp, wonder at the clouds passing by, smell the fragrance of flowers- you get the hang of it right? * Teach yourself the relaxation techniques which let you focus on the present moment. The simple exercise is to take a deep breath and slowly let it out. It brings you back in the present moment to whatever you are doing. * You should also take in your surrounding and try to take a mental snapshot. It's just what we said about enjoying the process. * Listening is an art we seldom practice. How many times do you tune out in a conversation- or have other thoughts? We should make a habit of listening for the sake of listening whether it is a conversation, music or even silence. * Be in the present moment while you are eating. You should savor every grain or spoon and involve your brain while eating. That way you don't end up feeling hungry after an hour!