Finding Ways to Live in the Present Moment: Try these Great Methods

When was the last time you actually lived in the present moment? Most of the time, one is too busy worrying about the past or future. Living in the present becomes forgotten, as you struggle to find ways to live in the present moment again.

When you think about it, living in the present is more difficult than it seems because of always trying to think ahead. You focus on the future, trying to reach your fullest potential so that you are able to live happily and comfortably in the years to come.

It is even taught to focus on the future for all of us, starting at a young age. Throughout schooling, you have to figure out what you want to do when you become an adult so that you can start preparing yourself for your future.

It is great to prepare for the future, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy and live your life in the present moment too.

The past creeps up every now and again as well, as you doubt and beat yourself up over and over about the mistakes that you made. When you aren’t able to fully get over the past, it can start to affect you and your relationships with those around you.

Living in the present moment is when you aren’t solely thinking about the past or the future. You live every day like it could be your last because life these days is unfortunately too short.

When living in the present moment, you can use your past and future as tools to maintain a happy life. It is important to live for today, to take a moment, and be grateful for where you are in life right now.

You don’t want to look up in a year or so and don’t know where that time went.

Being present plays a big part in happiness. Over time, you will start taking the pressure off of yourself and be okay with how your life is now. You begin to worry less about how it will be in the future.

Methods For Living in the Present Moment

• No more multitasking:
  
  • Trying to get everything done at once can make you feel overwhelmed very quickly. You are scurrying in multiple directions, starting one thing after another without actually finishing anything. This can cause you to get so distracted and overwhelmed that you can’t even think about the present moment.
    
    
  • Slow down and do one thing at a time. You are only one person, so continue to remind yourself that you will get things done when you can. If you have to send out an email and finish up a project by the end of the day, prioritize and focus on one task at a time.
    
    This helps you to be present to focus on what you are doing at that time rather than thinking about all of the other things that you need to do.
    
    
• Be more grateful:
  • Being grateful for where you are in your life helps you to be present. You think about the things that you are grateful for and how you got to where you are now. This brings happiness, and you start to appreciate everything around you more.
    
    
  • Each day, take a few minutes to think of something that you are grateful for. You can even say it out loud if you’d like or write it down. This will bring awareness to being in the present moment every day as you reflect on what you are grateful for.
    
    
• Switch up your day:
  • Sometimes, doing the same thing every single day can cause you to operate on autopilot. You stop paying attention to your surroundings or even people because of doing and seeing the same things every day. For instance, if you take the same walk every day after work in the same park, you start to just do it out of habit.
    
    You don’t notice the new bench there or the birthday party going on because you aren’t paying attention to anything really, you are operating because it’s a routine.
    
    
    
    
    
  • Doing something different is like putting in a new set of eyes. You notice and are aware of your surroundings and whatever event is taking place around you. Instead of taking a walk after work, you could take one during your lunch in a different location.
    
    Pay attention to the weather, the animals, and the people walking past. You will notice how one change in your daily routine can make such a difference.
    
    
• Leave the past where it is:
  • Thinking of mistakes that you made or regretting events from the past only hinders you. You can’t change the past, so why continue to think about it? Accept the things that happened and focus on the present; where you are in life right now.
    
    
  • Holding on to the past stops you from moving forward because you’re too busy pondering over what was instead of what is. Whether it is past pain or past happiness, it has already happened. Therefore, you have to live in the moment right now and allow yourself to experience being present.
    
    
• Break away from electronics:
  • Technology has advanced so much and it is truly awesome to witness. However, it has become addicting and a bit much at the same time. Everyone is racing to social media so that they can post a picture or check on their crush’s new updates.
    
    
  • The convenience of having a device that does everything keeps you distracted from what is going on in your present moment. You don’t even communicate with others like you used to, it is way easier to just text.
    
    
  • You go out to dinner with the family and instead of everyone catching you up about their day or telling the big news, everyone is glued to their phones. The only time someone says anything is to pass a plate over.
    
    
  • Spend at least one hour away from electronics to connect with yourself or the others around you. No matter what you decide to do, just be sure to take that time to unwind and focus on your present moment.
    
    
• Create daily goals:
  
  • Create daily goals to accomplish for helping you live in the present moment. Make sure that these are goals that you know you can get done. It doesn’t matter how big or small, daily goals keep your mind on things for that day.
    
    
  • These could include calling a friend instead of texting them to see how their day was or waking up a little earlier in the morning to do a good stretch before starting your day.
    
    

Living in the present moment helps you to be more mindful of your life. You begin to pay more attention to the things around you that are happening right now. This can even help to relieve stress and negative feelings, as you slow down and just be! You stop worrying about the future so much, allowing you to enjoy life. Your relationships improve because you are spending time with the ones you love and you are being present while doing so.

You will notice the shift in your mindset the more you practice these methods. The key is to be consistent and get used to these methods so that you can continue living in the present moment.