If you find it all too easy to start dwelling on the past or anxiously anticipating the future, you’re not alone – it happens to many people, and although you might think it’s perfectly natural (and to some extent, it is), it does mean that you’re missing out on the present moment, and that’s a shame. After all, when you think about it properly for a moment, you’ll realize that the present moment is actually all we have – the rest is memories or doesn’t exist yet. That’s why it’s so important to learn to live in the present; it can really make a difference when it comes to your wellbeing and overall quality of life. Here are some of the reasons why it’s just so important and why living in the present matters.
Reduced Stress And Anxiety
When you’re always dwelling on the past or you keep thinking about the future and worrying about that, it’s bound to lead to much higher stress and anxiety levels than you might otherwise have to deal with. Since stress can lead to all kinds of health issues, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity, to name just a few (plus it’s just not a pleasant way to live), reducing it as much as possible in your life makes a lot of sense – you’ll be healthier at the very least (and enjoy life a lot more as a result!).
If you can focus on the present moment you’ll be able to let go of all these worries and have a much better sense of happiness and calm. Of course, we know that’s easier said than done, which is why you can read about some of the techniques to use later on in this blog post.
Improved Mental Health
Research has actually shown that mindfulness practices, which include living in the moment, of course, can have a fantastically positive impact on someone’s mental health, and by paying attention to the here and now, you can actually minimize the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other issues, and become a lot stronger afterwards.
Having good mental health is crucial if you want to be able to move forward in life and get through all the challenges it throws at you in a positive way (even when it’s hard), and if living in the present is something that can help you do that, it makes sense to try.
Increased Productivity
When you’re focused on the present moment, you can concentrate much more on whatever it is you’re doing, and that can generally lead to better productivity and even more creativity, depending on what it is you’re doing.
Whether it’s work, hobbies, or any kind of personal project, if you can live in the moment and be in the present, the results will probably be better.
Greater Appreciation For Life
Living in the present means you’ll be able to fully appreciate the real beauty of life – and the best part is that it could be anything, from enjoying a delicious meal to watching a beautiful sunset to spending time with loved ones, and so on.
How else are you going to completely immerse yourself in these moments and find joy in the simplest pleasures unless you’re completely focused on that specific moment in time?
How To Start Living In The Present
Now we know why it’s so important to live in the present as much as possible, it’s wise to look into how to do it – and remember, there are lots more ideas than the ones we’ve listed here, but these will give you a good place to start while you’re working out exactly how to be mindful in your own life.
Practice Mindfulness Meditation
One of the best ways to be in the present moment more is to do mindfulness meditation, the aim of which is the make you more aware of the here and now. You’ll need to set aside a few minutes each day to sit quietly and focus on your breathing and the sensations in your body, and when your mind starts to wander (as it inevitably will), you’ll need to learn how to bring it carefully and gently back to the present moment. Once you can do that (and it will take time to get the hang of it), you’ll be able to live in the present much more easily.
Engage Your Senses
Another way to anchor yourself in the present is by thoroughly engaging your senses, which might sound odd because you’re already living like that, but the question is, are you really? It might be that you’re not using your senses as much as you could do, which is why you need to take a moment to notice the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures all around you. You can do this no matter what you’re doing, and it will instantly bring you back to the present.
Practice Gratitude
Being grateful for what you have in life is not a bad habit to get into, and when it comes to being more mindful and staying in the present, it’s going to work wonders. This is a truly powerful way to shift your focus to what’s happening now, and not thinking about the past or the future. It can often be a good idea to take a few minutes at the end of the day to write down three things you’re grateful for, and that can help get you in the mindset to be thinking of the current moment, which will reduce your stress levels and make you feel good, as we’ve already seen.
Limit Distractions
Now this one is far easier said than done, but it’s not impossible, and the results are positive once you do it, so it’s worthwhile. It’s very easy to get caught up in constant distractions, especially when you think about social media and the internet, but it doesn’t actually help you, and can often harm you when you consider how it’s causing you stress and, importantly, taking you out of the present moment. Because of this, it’s a good idea to limit these distractions as much as possible and carve out some time for doing things that mean you have to be fully present and can’t be distracted, like reading, doing crafts, or spending time with loved ones.
Get Health Help
If there’s one thing that’s sure to take you out of the present moment and cause you stress and worry, particularly when it comes to thinking about the future, it’s your health. It can put a real strain on you and those around you, which is why, if you want to be able to live in the present moment, you need to get health help from whichever direction that has to come from. You could make an appointment to see your doctor, you could start to follow a dietician’s advice, you could even search for a detox center near me if you need some additional help with addiction, for example. Do what you need to do to take charge of your health, and you can stop worrying and enjoy the present moment a lot more.
The Benefits Of Living In The Present
Now that you’ve begun to add different ways to be mindful and present into your life, you might start to notice some of the following benefits:
More Happiness
When you focus on the present and let go of your worries, you’re going to be a lot happier – the past and future aren’t going to get in the way of that, so you’ll just be more content overall, and that’s obviously a good thing. Just imagine how different life could be if you were happy more often than sad.
More Focus
Something else that living in the present can do is ensure you’re a lot more focused – you’ll be able to concentrate on tasks better, and in the end, that can lead to more productivity in your work and your personal life – who’s going to turn that down?
Better Stress Management
As we’ve said, stress can be a dangerous thing, and even though a little bit of it once in a while isn’t terrible (it can even make sure you hit your deadlines and get things done!), when it’s a chronic issue and you never stop stressing, that’s when the problems start to occur. If you spend more time in the present compared to the past and the future, you’ll find some excellent ways to reduce your stress levels and improve your mental wellbeing.
Better Relationships
Stress can put a strain on relationships, and if you’re always worried about things that haven’t happened yet or that have happened and you can’t change them, you’re not going to be giving your relationship your best effort either. However, if you’re fully in the moment you can strengthen your relationships with others and create much deeper connections, which is really what life is all about.
Final Thoughts
When you learn to live in the present, it’s a powerful way to boost your wellbeing and experience much great joy and happiness in life, and when you think of it like that, it’s going to be worth doing.