Being Present & Living in The Moment

Over the years I have struggled with the idea of living in the moment. I spent years of my life filled with anxiety and worry about the next thing. What am I going to do tomorrow? Where will I be in the next year? All to realise that having this mentality wasn’t doing my own mental health any good. I’ve come to realise as I’ve grown older, that alot of people live this way. We don’t appreciate the stage we are at in life, and are constantly waiting for the next ‘thing’. It’s a sad reality but one society has shaped us into.

As people I think we have forgotten how to really be present and focus on living in the moment. We are so glued to our phones and electrical devices, that we miss out on so much of our real lives for our virtual ones. It’s a sad reality, but one we must be careful not to let consume us. I myself have fallen into this trap many times. I am addicted to my phone, but I know when I need to take a step back and ground myself in the life I’m living.

Because I know I’m guilty of not being present enough, I wanted to share some tips and advice on how we can all improve in this area of our lives. When I write this I’m not only writing to you the reader, but myself too. These are the things I know I need to work on, to improve my attitude towards living in the moment.

A CHILD LIKE MENTALITY

Have you ever heard the phrase ‘a child like mentality’? I have heard this phrase so many times in my life, both in good and bad contexts. The reason I mention a child like mentality on this particular topic because I think reverting back to our child like mentality as an adult is a good thing.

I watch my two young nephews and I see the excitement they have for life. I see how joyful they get when they see something they like on tv. Or when they play outside and chase birds and splash in puddles. They aren’t worrying about the next thing they have to do that day. They’re enjoying the moment for what it is. We grow up and become stressed by work, bills and having our own lives to run. And we forget how important it is to hold onto our child like ways. Because, for alot of people they were the happiest moments of our lives and we didn’t even know it.

I think if we all try to regain our own child like mentality, we will all become happier and become more content in our present moments.

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PUT DOWN THE TECHNOLOGY…SOMETIMES

I am very aware that we live in 2022 and our world revolves around technology now. Long gone are the days where you could go one day without using some sort of electrical device. Which is why I added the ‘sometimes’ into the title of this next part of the post.

Sometimes its good to leave your phone at home when you go for a walk. Or instead of spending all evening looking at the tv, to read a book. Making those small conscious decisions to leave the devices switched off or at home can really help you to remember to be present in that moment.

Is there anything worse than having a conversation with someone and they are glued to their mobile phone screen? Your real life is in-front of you, its not on a small screen in your hand. Making a conscious effort to remember that living in the moment is more important than that text someone sent you will change your life.

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BECOME CONTENT IN YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE

I realise that this part of the post is going to be a tough one, especially if your current circumstance isn’t a pleasant one. So, I’ll be tackling this part with as much caution and respect as I can.

I remember when I was going through the worst time of my life, I was crippled with anxiety and depression and I could not shake it. I was in a job I hated, and I saw no way out. At the time I wasn’t living in the moment, I wanted out of the place I was at and would dream about a time where I wasn’t feeling so low. Being content in the hard times isn’t something I felt I could do at the time. But everyday I would pray and try to uplift myself to get to a better place. Being content during something awful and hard takes alot of strength. Sometimes it can be done, sometimes it cant. You can use your common sense here and know which situations this can and cant apply to.

Being content in your circumstance really helps you to remain present in where you are at the time. It helps to ground you. It can actually help to heal you too. I remember always wishing for the weekend, and then when the weekend came all I could think about was work again on Monday. That didn’t help me, it made things worse.

I learnt to become content and happy in the present moment. I found small joys everyday, even if it was just walking my dog at the time. Those small things are the things that mean the most.

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CHOOSE TO TAKE THE POWER BACK

Finally, I wanted to end on a positive and uplifting note. Choosing to take the power back over your mind, your circumstance and the way society tells us to live is one of the best things you can do. In a world full of people living like robots, numb to the world around them, choose happiness and living in the moment. Take charge of your life and put down your phone. Put your walking shoes on and get outside. Bask in the sunshine and run around fields. Take the power of your life back and begin to live. And see how much happier you will become.

Do you find yourself living in the moment? Or do you struggle to stay present in life?

Olivia x 
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