Being present is a concept that stretches across disciplines of philosophy, physics, and psychology.
InThe Study of Time1, philosopher A.N.
Prior equates the present to reality.
Meaning, this moment is the only thing that truly exists.
What does it mean to be present?
“We are constantly processing information that we’re seeing, feeling, thinking.
It’s easy to have our attention split between the three and get lost in thought.”
Presence is also a noun, where someone can have presence and share presence.
The way that we talk about presence is oftentimes a positive gift.
If you have stage presence, you light up a stage and invite your audience in.
If you share your presence with another, you are engaging in the present moment with someone.
Presence can feel like an intimate form of expression that involves other people around you.
Why is it so hard to be present?
This is a natural process where we prepare for the future with lessons from the past.
When these thoughts go unchecked, they can become overwhelming and lead tooverthinking.
12 ways to be more present in the moment:
Meditate.
Engage all your senses.
Our mind’s consciousness is only one tool that we have to explore our world.
Tapping into the intelligence that our bodies have can be useful for becoming present.
According to Quimson, “A helpful strategy is to focus your attention on your five senses.”
A few guiding questions she suggests:
Start a hobby.
A hobby can help you tap into the present and work with your flow state.
Engaging with a challenging task can be rewarding and contribute to positive feelings of achievement.
When immense attention is on a passion project, the flow state can keep you focused in the present.
Make eye contact.
Focus on one thing at a time.
We have been sold the myth that we can multitask.
This concept originates from computers' abilities to multitask or do more than one thing at a time.
However, our brains are not wired like computers.
We actually cannot multitask well.Some research4suggests that multitasking is even detrimental to our productivity rates.
Pause social media usage.
Social media platforms are also built to keep you in the app, potentially keeping you scrolling for hours.
Do some breathing exercises.
Your breath is one of the most accessible ways to be present.
If you just follow and focus solely on your breath, you might be in the here and now.
Try this4-7-8 techniquenext time it’s crucial that you be in the moment with your breath.
Intentionally schedule time to be present.
Quimson shares a popular quote by Randy Armstrong: “Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles.
It takes away today’s peace.”
With any new skill, it takes time to build a practice.
So, building little by little can be helpful.
The scheduled time to be present can start as little as 30 seconds.
Feel emotions deeply.
Go out in nature.
Research onshinrin-yoku, or forest bathing6, has also demonstrated potential benefits of stress reduction.
Lower stress levels can lead to greater ability to focus in the present moment.
Create a ritual with candles or other scented objects.
Research suggests that our bodies haveemotional and physiological responses to scents7.
Some people utilize tools like candles to remind themselves that they are in a specific moment.
Assigning a reminder to be present to a specific scent can help you cultivate a mindfully present practice.
Find support from a therapist.
How to be present in a relationship.
Being with our partners in the moment creates memories and meaning in our relationships.
There are many ways tobe more present in a relationship.
I really want to watch this with you.'"
How to be present in a conversation.
Real-time conversation is the glue that keeps our relationships together.
“This could mean physically moving bodies to face each other or making eye contact.
But she adds, “This is a very normal human thing to do.
Being present is fully engaging with the person you are with.
Depending on the topic, this may call for offering advice, empathizing, or just usingactive listening.
The more you practice being in conversation with someone, the easier it gets.
How to be present with your children.
Children are highly sensitive to learning from the world around them.
In early years of development, children mimic the people around them to learn behaviors.
Being present with your children helps them to learn how to be present with others.
“Being present with children is similar to being present with adults,” says Tuazon.
“Give space for the child to express themselves and engage with curiosity,” she adds.
FAQ:
Why is being present so hard?
That’s why cultivating mindful awareness of the present often takes effortful practice.
How can I be less in my head and live in the moment?
But there are simple practices it’s possible for you to use right now to be more present.
The takeaway.
Practicing mindful awarenessin the present moment is a skill.
The benefits of being more present in our lives are enormous and worth every try.
