Being Present

There’s been so much talk in the wellness scene the last year about being present but what exactly does that mean and why is it so important? Well, being present is pretty simple and really just means to be focusing on the here and now without regretting the past or anxiously awaiting and trying to control the future. It’s so simple yet so many of us struggle with it. In fact, many mindfulness experts say that being hung up on the past could be a sign of depression and being overly concerned about the future could be a sign of anxiety, two very common diagnoses in our modern world.

Besides the underlying issues someone might be dealing with if they are struggling with being present, the other issue of not being present is that it’s hard to be your best self and be happy if you’re not living in the moment. Sure it’s ok to have goals for the future and remember pleasant past experiences but these things should be taking place at appropriate times and in appropriate increments. Meaning that you can schedule time for goal setting and work towards those goals in the present and you can certainly recall past experiences during leisure or alone time if it brings you joy. But holding onto hurtful feelings from the past will not serve you in the moment or in the future and obsessing about the future can create problems for you in the present which could hinder your future success as well.

So let’s say you’re on board, you want to live your best life and live more in the present moment. How do you go about doing that? I’ll start by saying it’s not about doing it once and then knowing how to do stay there always, it’s really more about working on making it a daily practice. There’s not necessarily one right way at accomplishing this, each person’s practice can look different and that’s ok, you just have to find what works for you. There are however some simple strategies you can incorporate into your wellness routine that may help you cultivate your own approach.

The first step is to have awareness of your thoughts. Most people struggle with being present because they say they have an overactive mind, so having awareness of your thoughts and potential triggers that could be causing a restless mind is key. Identifying those triggers will help you come up with solutions for them. For example, if your phone makes you anxious then set boundaries for yourself around your phone time and stick to them.

One tactic I use myself and encourage others to do to combat a restless mind is spending time in nature (without your phone if it’s going to distract you). When you’re outside, really pay attention to the sounds, smells, colors and textures around you. Nature is beautiful, it’s medicinal and we all need to cultivate a connection with it in order to be optimally well. It’s amazing how uplifting a beautiful nature walk can be, especially when the sun is shining. In fact, I and many other wellness experts believe nature and sunshine are natural antidepressants for humans. It’s hard not to feel a sense of appreciation and gratitude for being able to explore nature’s beauty once you make it a habit. Adding nature bathing to your wellness routine will undoubtedly help you become more present.

Another really important tool to use is focusing on making mealtimes be just mealtimes, not mealtimes with the TV, phone or computer. Eating is a very personal, pleasurable and sacred act that should be honored in the present moment. If you’re thinking about your to-do list at mealtime or you’re paying attention to the actors on the TV show you’re watching, then you won’t hear your body’s cues on whether or not the meal is meeting your needs and you won’t be able to fully enjoy the tastes or textures of your food. Additionally, mealtime is essentially when we’re feeding our bodies our new tissues. It’s important to honor those bites, chew them well and prepare them for your digestive tracts so the nutrients can be assimilated properly and effectively. Eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures and can only be enjoyed in the present moment so start making it a priority each day.

This next tip is all about connecting with your friends, family and loved ones in person. In our modern world, we’re constantly communicating with everyone over our phones where other notifications are coming in simultaneously making it hard to focus on one thing including your conversation. Our bodies are designed to communicate with one another in person face to face, that’s why we have different facial expressions. Make it a point to meet with your loved ones as often as you need and set some boundaries around that time. For example, make it clear that there will be no phones or TV while you’re catching up. Not only will this help you be more present but notice how this habit strengthens your bond and re-establishes the connection between you. When spending time with someone in this manner, you can listen to them, hear about what’s going on in their life and offer support, and they can return the favor to you.

Finding a hobby that requires your undivided attention is another tool you can put into your being a present toolbox. An example of this would be a hobby that requires the use of your hands and your mind such as cooking, gardening, journaling, drawing, painting, etc… Pick an activity that requires you to focus and put it on your calendar each week. This activity should be one that brings you joy because there’s no sense in being in the moment if you aren’t happy there and this way you’re also more likely to stick with it.

The last tip I’ll mention is to spend time with animals. Your pets are always living in the present moment and when you’re with them you’re more likely to do the same. In addition to your furry companions helping you to live in the moment, it’s been proven that petting them and playing with them increases the production of your “feel good” hormones like oxytocin. This I believe is no accident instead, it’s a strong argument in favor of showing a correlation between feeling well mentally and emotionally and living in the present moment.

As mentioned at the beginning of this post, spending too much time in the past is associated with depression and too much time in the future is associated with anxiety. So if you unpack that, it can be said that keeping your mental health intact is directly associated with living in the present. If you think about that, it makes a lot of sense. Remember a time that you were stressed about something, either something that already happened or fearing that something will happen in the future. Now think about when you actually dealt with that event. First of all, you had to have dealt with it in the present moment at that time, right? And when you dealt with it, faced it, addressed it, etc.. you immediately felt better right? So why didn’t you just tell yourself that if such and such event ever happened or happened again that you would deal with it at that time? We spend so much time and energy focusing on these potential threats that our own mind creates when we ought to spend more time training our minds to focus on what actually is happening, one thing at a time in the present moment.

About the Author: Edith Agoston is a freelance writer and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach in Seattle, WA. She writes about all things health and wellness including nutrition, fitness, and spirituality on her main platform edithagoston.com. Edith works with her clients to implement behavioral lifestyle changes to improve their overall well being.