In the last 5 minutes, you’ve had a million thoughts run through your mind. “Do bunion correctors work?” and “Did I get that report done?” and “What will they think of me?” You’ve noticed you’ve been having racing thoughts all the time, and your mind never seems to slow down. Accessing the present moment can help calm your racing mind.
Here are 4 tips to be more present in daily life.
Start the Day with Mindfulness Meditation
One of the easiest and most effective ways of being more present in daily life is to practice mindfulness meditation. The practice of mindfulness meditation has a slew of positive and healing benefits for your mental and physical health. It’s also the entryway into inviting the peace and ease that comes with being full present.
Mindfulness meditation doesn’t need to be a complicated practice. Instead, you could simply find a quiet place to sit. After sitting in a comfortable position, you close your eyes, and focus on your breath. It’s natural for thoughts to come in, so don’t be discouraged or bothered by them. Instead, acknowledge them as they arise and release them once they’re brought to your awareness. Think of your thoughts as clouds passing in the sky and you are watching them float away.
Observe with Your Senses
Another great way to be more present throughout the day is to focus on what your senses are picking up. Instead of being lost in your thoughts, focusing on what you feel and observe allows you to come in contact with what’s present – what’s right in front of you.
How to Observe with Your Senses:
- What do you feel on your skin? Is it warm, cold, tingly?
- What do your eyes see? Notice the colors, shadows, and shapes of what’s around you.
- What do you hear? Is it a soft noise, are there birds, is there a silent hum?
- What do you taste? Is it spicy, sour?
- What do you smell? Is it familiar?
Try Looking at Things Without Naming
We are living in a world of symbols. These symbols are words that give meaning to us. It helps us to communicate with others and to identify and understand the world around us. However, we often lose touch of the depth of what we see or feel when we’re assigning pre-determined labels to them. Try looking at things without naming them.
When you look out at a tree, try and see if you can view it as something other than a “tree.” What’s the story that’s there? You’ll find that you will probably pick up on something about that tree you never had before. You can be present, just enjoying watching it without trying to assign it a label.
Identify Thoughts as They Come In
One of the great benefits of being present is that you aren’t absorbed in your thinking mind. Instead, you’re able to notice thoughts as they arise and not identify them as you. You see thoughts as just another thing in the universe.
If you’re wanting to be more present in daily life, practice noticing these thoughts as they come into your mind. This invites you to make the unconscious conscious. In doing so, you immediately become present. The more you practice meditation, the easier it will be to have this awareness.
