What to do to live in the present
Our current pace of life involves a constant distraction: lights, sounds, mobile phones, advertisements, cars, work, family, etc. In short, having to pay attention to a thousand things at the same time. This implies that the time that we can stay connected with the present is less and less and harder to find. Many studies point to this as one of the main causes of stress.
In addition to everything that current times and the society in which we live imply, there is our human tendency to anchor ourselves in the past and to remember, often with melancholy. We distress ourselves with negative situations, calculating and recalculating our actions and those of others.
In the same way, we tend to worry about the future, trying to plan it in detail and looking at it in a catastrophic way, provoking feelings of anxiety and anguish with our imaginations. Most of the time we end up verifying that our plans and musings are not fulfilled and that not everything goes as we would have liked.
How to live in the present?
Many times we are advised to live in the present, to concentrate and enjoy every moment and the little things in life. But what is living in the present? And, most importantly, how is it done?
The answer is simpler than it seems: it is only about being present, being aware and also responsible for the present moment. What happened a second ago is already part of the past. Living in the present is put distractions aside to focus on the here and now. You can start right now, while reading these lines ...
1. What do your senses perceive?
How is the environment around you? Pay attention to the space you are in, the people around you, the lighting, the colors. Is there noise? What temperature is it?
2. How do you feel physically?
Look at your body; Are you comfortable or uncomfortable? What parts of your body are in contact with the environment around you? What emotion predominates in you? Do you feel any pain? Focus on your breathing and your heartbeat. What feelings do you have?
3. What are you thinking about?
What are you imagining, anticipating or planning right now? What do you care about? Are you really in the now or are you in the past or in the future?
Let the thoughts go
It is very important to be aware that the vast majority of things that come to mind we imagine, which means that we have full power over them. Just as you are able to bring thoughts to your mind, you are able to let them go. Being aware that they are just thoughts, especially when they cause us anguish, is how we can let them pass.
Thought can be an excellent companion when we manage to focus on the present and the reality, giving us different response alternatives to the problems and situations we face every day.
Connecting with the present in this way, taking a break to do this exercise, we can make decisions based on how we are really feeling with our current moment.
Whenever we want, when we feel stressed, sad, worried... we can ask ourselves the three previous questions to regain contact with the environment and focus on the here and now. We can also encourage ourselves to establish this review as a routine, until we get used to doing it.
An example: the fruit exercise
We propose a small exercise of mindfulness or mindfulness which can help you stimulate and focus attention on your senses. Take a fruit, or any other food that you like.
Take a close look at it first and note its visual characteristics, such as color or size. Then close your eyes and analyze its texture. Finally, put it in your mouth and explore its flavor. Let yourself be carried away by the sensations that it generates in your tongue, palate and teeth. Concentrate on experiencing all these sensations to the fullest.
- Related article: 5 Mindfulness exercises to improve your emotional well-being
