How to be more present

You may often hear the terms ‘being present’ or ‘living in the now’ thrown around? But, what do they actually mean. For me, being present means not only living in the now but also enjoying it. Living in the past will not serve you well. And although it is nice to look forward, it is important not to place too much emphasis on this, otherwise you will quickly become unhappy with the now. More on this later…

We all have hectic lives nowadays. But, being busy (despite what you may be accustomed to believing) is not a good thing unless you are productive. No one wants to be a ‘busy foul’. I can honestly say, if I am not conscious of being present I can easily pass myself out. Do I achieve my goals quicker or more effective by being busy? Absolutely NOT.  

For now I want to share with you some of my top tips for living in the present . I hope you find these useful….

Do one thing at a time

Society really has a lot to answer for on this one. It is almost seen as a good thing to multi task in this day and age. Sure, women pride themselves on multi tasking at times. But, can you honestly say that when you are multitasking that you are actually present and absorbing the information you need fully?

The point is, do one thing at a time. Absorb the information thoroughly, connect with the person infront of you whole heartedly and the benefits will be imminent.

To be honest it is actually impossible to do two things at once anyway. All you are doing is jumping in and out of alternate tasks.

Just to note, it is ok to have a big ‘to do list’ but the key is to prioritise and to be present while completing the tasks. You will be amazed at how much new information you will absorb and also how damn invigorating it is.

Give yourself moments throughout the day

First thing in the morning set yourself an intension that you will give yourself small moments in time during the day to connect back in with yourself.

Tapping into your senses is the best form of this I have found. We have some amazing senses, use them. Hear the birds tweeting, smell the rose bush as you run for the bus, eat a tasty treat (a low calories one of course), listen to your favourite song, feel the water on your hands while you wash them. You get the idea. These little changes will make such a positive difference.

Breathing is the easiest way to check in with yourself. Simply, take deep breaths while checking in with how you feel.

Write down how you feel. Seeing it in writing will help you see things clearer and will automatically give you guidance you need. It is good to take a pulse of how you feel at different points of the day. If you don’t, things that could have been corrected earlier in the day may have escalated in your mind by the end of the day leaving you in a worse position. Simply checking in with your emotions during the day makes a world of difference.

Limit your use of electronic devices

This one will be no surprise but we can all get lost in social media from time to time. Before we know it, an hour has past and all we have done is ended up on some randomers page and gained absolutely nothing except maybe feel inadequate because we don’t ‘look the way they do’ or ‘have what they have’. I will let you in on a little secret, it’s not real life. Don’t waste your time on it unless it makes you feel good and gives you information you find beneficial.

Looking forward in a proactive way

We all love to set goals. I live my life setting myself goals BUT…. It is crucial that when you make these goals that you do not consume yourself with them too much, otherwise you will loose sight of the present.

The easiest way I find to be present and still have goals is to check in with your goals daily/weekly and make action points you need to achieve in the present to ensure your goals are reached in the future. Does that make sense? You are benefiting now while still planning for the future. Exciting right?

Meditation and Exercise

I spoke in depth about these two topics in my Five Changes To a Happier You post so I won’t go on too much but THE BEST ways to be present and to forget about what is going on in the outside world is to allow yourself the time to switch off and meditate.

Exercise has the same effect if you allow it too. There is nothing like a good brisk walk or intense gym session to clear your mind.

I could talk all day about being present but I think I have given you a few actions to take away and make that positive shift.

Remember, the present is all we have. So, let’s enjoy it.

Let me know your top tips on being present below..

Have a super day

Anita xxx