The Gift of the Present

Should we dwell on the past or worry about the future? The answer is neither. If you’re looking to lower your stress, ease anxiety, improve your mood, and build resilience, you should focus on the present.

Build Present-Moment Awareness

We’ve all had times where we weren’t being mindful of a present moment. You might be at a lovely picnic with your family but stressing about a big work meeting the next day. Or you could be curled up with your cat on the couch but running through the events of the last week in your head. When we are aware of the present, our lives can improve. According to psychologist and educator Dr. B Grace Bullock, present-moment awareness involves monitoring and attending to our current experiences. When we focus on the past and the future instead of now, we risk missing meaningful moments that make us happier and more attuned to our environment.

Part of being present also means being aware and engaged in one thing at a time. Instead of multi-tasking and thinking five steps ahead, presence means you are focused on what is happening inside you and around you without distraction.

When you’re more present in your life, you can experience several benefits: 

• You can respond rather than react. When you are attentive to how you feel, you can make more mindful decisions as opposed to simply reacting. 

• You become more participatory in your own life and can more effectively face  daily challenges. 

• You also will ease anxiety and stress by overthinking less.

These benefits are backed up by research in the Journal of Research in Personality. 

Stay Present, Even When It’s Hard

It can be tempting to “check out” when we experience distress, but it’s not actually what’s best for us long-term. When we remain present, even in uncomfortable situations, we are better-equipped to manage anxiety more effectively and move through emotions in a beneficial way, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Everyone needs some help staying present when the world moves as fast as it does. There are a few things you can do to practice present-moment awareness: 

1.  Engage in some form of meditation or creative activity like breathwork, journaling, drawing, or listening to music. 

2. Try grounding techniques, like 5-4-3-2-1, that tie you to your surroundings. 

3. Immerse yourself in a physical activity like yoga (which often includes meditation) or walking in nature where you can remain centered and focused on the experience.

By practicing being present, you can engage in relationships on a deeper level, find peace in the challenging moments, and focus on the things that are important to you.

How do you focus on the present? We'd love to hear your techniques on Facebook or Instagram. Love this kind of content? Subscribe to our newsletter to have it delivered directly to your inbox every other week.