“As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease. When you act out the present-moment awareness, whatever you do becomes imbued with a sense of quality, care, and love, even the most simple action.”- Eckhart Tolle
We live in an age of constant doing, thinking, planning, worrying and fear. There’s always something that needs to be done, we need to prepare for or anticipate. It is easy to get lost in the past or worrying about the future. But, as Spiritual teacher and author Eckhart Tolle, wrote in his inspiring book, The Power of Now, learning to live in the present moment allows us to experience “a way out of suffering and into peace.”
Are there things you can do every day to help you stay in the present moment? After all, living mindfully is key to less stress. You have probably heard it said many times that it’s important to live and stay in the present moment.
Let us examine some different types of activities and habits you can implement into your day to help begin developing living in the moment.
10 Tips
Laugh as much as possible.
Laughter releases tension and relaxes our muscles. Can you find anything humorous in your situation? Try to remember something your kid told you that made you laugh or a funny movie your watched. Keep a small notebook handy with funny jokes. Call a friend for a good laugh. Laugh at yourself when you make a mistake or do something clumsy.
Be grateful.
Count your blessings and ask for grace to get through the day. Feel gratitude for what you have and for the stress in your life. After all, if you didn’t have stress, you are not living.
Sit quietly in the morning.
Morning is the perfect time to begin your day with mindfulness. Instead of rushing through your morning routine take a few minutes to sit and be thankful for the day. Journal, meditate or just concentrate on breathing.
Spend time outside whenever possible.
A simple walk around your neighborhood, visiting a local park or take a hike on a nice trail. These are all great environments for getting in touch with nature. Connecting with nature helps you ground yourself and get in the present moment. Observe what you see, smell, feel and hear while clearing your mind.
Focus on a single task at a time.
Many of us have been taught to multitask to get things done. But when you divide your attention among several things, you end up making mistakes, rather than the best job, or not finishing everything. Instead focus on the one task at hand. When you are done with it, take a short break and then move onto the next one. It is more relaxing and mindful way to do your activities.
Feel your feelings.
Part of being in the preset moment means being in touch with how you feel. Whether you feel excited, happy, sad, angry, jealous or some other feeling, allow yourself to feel it. Then be mindful of how you react to the feelings.
Get creative.
Do something every day that uses your creativity. Spending time doing what you enjoy helps your stay in the present moment. And creative outlets are great at helping relieve stress. Draw, paint, build or take photographs or whatever gets you being creative.
Keep a journal.
Write down what is bothering you as well as what you are grateful for. Journal writing can be a great way to get yourself back into the present. It helps you organize your thoughts and feelings. It's a great way to keep track of what's causing your stress and to work through the issues.
Be of service and help others.
Helping others helps us get our minds off our own troubles and puts us into the moment. Help an elderly neighbor, volunteer in your community, or find some way to help those in need.
Plan your day with a flexible to-do list.
Do the most important things first. Plan time to pray, to play with your kids, to relax, to eat well and to exercise.
No matter what new daily habits you develop to stay in the present moment you will begin to notice less stress. Your body, mind and emotions will be more relaxed, and you’ll begin to notice how enjoyable your life is.
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