How to Live In the Moment

To write this post, I reviewed 11, high-quality articles on the topic of being present or being in the moment. Not surprisingly, a few articles mentioned the same or similar tips on being more present. If the tip was mentioned in four or more articles, it made the list below. There is a list of honorable mentions, that I did not write about, at the end of this section. These are tips that were mentioned in two or three of the articles reviewed. 

Put away Our Phones

According to Daily Dad, ” . . people generally spend an average of 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phones every day. Not just that, but we pick up our phones an average of 58 times per day. How much of this is actually necessary? How many times are we checking our phones for things that are actually urgent and pressing instead of just out of mere habit? (dailydad.com)

Putting our phones away can bring us a little closer to being wholly in the present state. Our phones become our gateways to the world outside ourselves. However, with their constant notifications and addictive applications, it should be no surprise that 6 of the 11 articles referenced for this post, list this as one of their go-to tips to be more present.”

We can turn off our notifications or limit notifications on our phones to avoid distractions. That works to a point, in that if your phone is on vibrate or visible, you will still be distracted. My son puts his phone in his desk drawer during work. So, I know if I call him during the day, I will not get him. He works in finance and needs to be focused. Whatever strategy you use to prevent your phone from distracting you will work, as long as you have the discipline to work the strategy.

Develop a System to Be Present

Blocking out a certain day can help us be more present. Microsoft Office allows us to schedule Focus time throughout the week. I find that I can be more productive when I am disciplined about using this feature for ‘deep work’.

This is one place where our phones can be helpful. We can use our phones to schedule time or a reminder or use any of a number of apps that support meditation and mindfulness.

Practice Mindfulness

When practicing mindfulness, we are living in the moment. When we are mindful, we are focused on the present moment and the realities of the moment (www.lifehack.org)

When we practice mindfulness, we are almost acting as an observer of the reality
all around us, without consciously engaging or judging that reality. Consciously observing what is happening is different than thinking about what is happening. Although the task of observing will not necessarily be easy, becoming adept at the process will be worthwhile.

This can be a challenge for those of us who self-identify as intellectuals. If we are ‘knowledge workers’, we are paid to think our way through challenges and develop analyses and plans to pull or push ourselves and our organizations to what we call progress. This pushing and pulling against a future state, that is vividly visualized and worked toward, can be the very thing that prevents us from observing and appreciating the present moment.

Mindfulness complements and enhances our thinking by allowing us to be more aware of a more objective reality. With mindfulness, we can calm our minds and emotions to see more clearly and completely the reality we are in. Then, much of our understanding can come from simple observation. “When we develop mindfulness, we literally expand our awareness”. (ibid)

When we can calm our minds and see what is actually going on around us, we focus on the present moment, not the future or the past. One way to calm our minds is through mindfulness or meditation.

Practice Meditation

There are so many ways to meditate. One of the more popular methods is mindfulness meditation, where we focus on our breath and as thoughts come and go, we simply do not engage them and call our attention back to our breath. Everyone seems to struggle with this when they first start the practice. However, it brings clarity, peace, and calm to the present moment. For more about mindfulness meditation, read this article. 

I’ve recently begun a Qigong (she-Gong) practice. Qigong is an ancient Chinese healing art that is also a form of moving meditation. The 15-minute routine is perfect for my morning and afternoon breaks and allows me to return to my work with renewed vigor and focus.

Other forms of meditation include:

• Spiritual Meditation.
• Focused Meditation.
• Mantra Meditation.
• Transcendental Meditation.
• Progressive Relaxation. &
• Loving-kindness Meditation.

To learn more about these forms of meditation, check out this article.

Give Ourselves a Daily Treat

The topic of self-care has become very popular. It can, in some instances, include almost all the practices above and more. For our purposes, I’ll focus on just treating ourselves nicely – giving ourselves grace during challenging times. Making sure that we take time to rest properly. Slowing down to enjoy each moment, before it passes.

If you are a caregiver or someone with responsibilities involving others, you may also be the type of person who simply does not take care of yourselves and views self-care as an indulgence. It is not. It is how we maintain our ability to be present and in the moment at the very times that those who count on us  need us. We cannot pour into the lives of others from an empty cup.

Honorable Mentions to Being Present

As I mentioned earlier, I chose to highlight practices that were mentioned at least four times in the articles I reviewed. That does not mean that these practices are the most valuable. Many of the honorable mentioned practices below are worth trying out to see how they work for you and help you figure out how to live in the moment:

• Remain conscious of your thoughts,
• Get rid of distractions,
• Hold hands,
• Create new habits,
• Make time for fun,
• Let go of your baggage,
• Practice listening, 
• Find a source of flow, &
• Take it slow.