How to practice living in the present moment

This post is all about how to practice living in the present moment using 10 simple tips

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For most of my life, I have realized I used to live either in the past, crying about something or daydreaming about the future or worrying about, what if it does not happen the way I want it to be

I am not even kidding when I say this because when I look back now, I don’t have a lot of memories in my head of old times because I spent most of it suffering in my head.

This itself is a perfect example of how our life, lies in the moment, and being present in it.

Otherwise, when you look back it will be just a blank memory

Not only this, it is also how living in the present can help you have good mental health and truly experience life

Because life exists only in the moment, not in the past, it’s gone and not in the future because it does not exist right now

Back in 2022, I was caught too much in my head that living in the moment was something I had to force myself to implement to stabilize my mental health.

And ever since I have been so much happier in my life!

Here is why it is important to live in the present more

There is so much stress about living in the moment everywhere. and if you are confused or find it difficult to understand why it is given so much value, I want to break it down for you

1. The present moment is the only thing that is real

Like I said in the beginning, past and future do not exist, one is gone, and the other does not exist yet.

The only thing that is real is the present moment you are in now, the moment you have right now

and that is the only thing that matters because if you are not living in the moment, you are not really living.

2. Present moment is the only thing that give you power

Because it is the moment you get to live in, you have the power over it. You cannot change the past or do anything about the future because the moment has not come yet.

But you can, to very much extent, control your present, you get the power to decide how to live and what decision to make right now

This makes the Present even more powerful, it can change your future too and it can help you detach from the past.

Just by dwelling in the moment and doing your best, you can improve your life, feel happier, and create a better now as well as a better future!

3. It improves your mental health, you feel happier and peaceful

Certainly, living and being focused in the present moment means you are not caught up in overthinking.

You are enjoying and making the most of the moment you have now, and that helps you improve your mental health, and feel happier and at peace.

The same happened with me, since the day I started focusing on being present and focusing on my “NOW”, I have been so much happier.

Instead of living in my head, overthinking, I have started to enjoy my life now!

How to practice living in the present moment

How to live in the present moment

1. Bring your focus to now and yourself

First and foremost, to practice living in the present moment is a mindful practice you need to develop.

Right now, you are used to constantly thinking about the past or future and struggle to stay focused on the NOW.

It is a reminder you need to keep putting for yourself that every time you find yourself getting lost in thinking about the past or future, you bring your focus to now

the moment you are in, what are you doing? what are the things in your surroundings? How do you feel at the moment,

Activate all your senses and dwell in the moment again.

Overtime, it will be easier to let go of thinking and easily being focused on the moment

2. Practice gratitude

A lot of times, the present moment might seem like a struggle, you feel unhappy or low.

It can seem challenging to want to be in the moment because you are feeling negative about your current reality.

But trust me there is so much abundance in your present life, there are plenty of things can be grateful for

For me, I would try to find joy and gratitude in the little good things in my life and look forward to them so I can be more present and happy

There might be 1-2 things not going your way right now, but you definitely have control over so many good little things in life,

and you can just try to focus on those blessings, there is always something to be grateful for! trust me

3. Romanticize your present life

In one of my last posts, I shared how to romanticize your life, it is something I have started to do since this year, and I kid you not.

I have been able to more present and focused on myself in a good way, i feel happier

We keep longing for an escape from life, we think when we get something, or we reach somewhere else we will be happy then

I used to think that way too, and once I realized what I was doing, it hit me that eventually if I do end up getting what I want, I would not be happy

because happiness is not a place or achievement or a person, it is a mindset

So, in an attempt to start being happier in my current life, I started to romanticize small things daily

I share everything in this post – How and why you must romanticize your life

4. Engage in activities that keeps you present

If you notice as a kid, we were always busy with activities aka hobbies. playing and doing something fun that there is no room for thoughts

These activities would keep us fully present in the moment because we have so much fun, it is kind of like meeting your best friend, laughing and talking to them.

We are so fully present and busy having fun in that moment

So what if you find those activities that you can do by yourself, that are fun and keeps you present?

It would be so much easier to spend a few hours every day being in the moment and letting our minds stay quiet for a while,

no overthinking, no sadness, just peace, and joy!

5. Build a mindfulness routine.

Mindfulness is all about being aware of the moment and activity you are doing.

If you are eating your breakfast, instead of distracting yourself with food or thoughts, you keep your attention and focus on eating your meal.

The more you practice this technique, the easier it will get for you to be mindful or be present in other activities too.

So you can choose 1-3 activities for your day where you will be actively practicing mindfulness, like brushing your teeth, having food, or cooking.

Every day when you do these activities, try to practice mindfulness

6. Connect with your breath

The quickest way to bring yourself back to the present is through breathing.

Concentrate on your breathing every time, you find yourself lost in thoughts, occupied with worry or anxiety.

Start bringing your attention to your breathing for a few minutes, as long as you can, and you will instantly find a sense of calm.

Try to breathe slowly, inhale less, and exhale more and slow

For example: 5 counts in and 7 counts out

7. Remind yourself to enjoy the process

We are so focused on the outcome and just want to reach the result as fast as possible.

But the thing about living this life is, that the end outcome is not what makes up your life as much as the process does.

Maybe getting that award on stage is your outcome, that moment lasts only a few seconds or minutes, but the process to get there takes weeks, months, or even years.

So, enjoying the process to get there is more important than the outcome.

Every time you feel impatient or anxious about the future of your life or outcome

Simply, remind yourself to enjoy the journey to get there, whether it is hard or not.

Find that thrill and excitement in the moment!

that’s the key practice living in the present moment

8. Be in nature more

Nature is very calming. if you notice every time you are surrounded by lots of greenery, mountains or beach.

Your mind automatically starts slowing down and thinking less. It feels very peaceful.

So if you find it difficult to be in the present moment and you notice that you are dwelling in overthinking way too much

Go to a nearby park, lake, or beach, go hiking, and it will be so much better!

9. Step away from social media now and then.

You cannot be present in the moment if you are constantly equipped on your phone and social media.

Looking at other people and their videos, and living in this virtual reality all the time.

You need to put that device down and be in the real world more.

go out, socialize, meet new people, see places around your city, or travel.

Now and then, take a social media break, even if it’s for a day. This is how you are going to be in the moment and not stimulated.

10. Practice detachment

The Law of Detachment is something I have been learning about lately, and hoping to write a post on it soon.

I have realized that detachment, is the key to peace and happiness, whereas attachment to anything, people, things, and places leads to unhappiness and misery.

Everything is temporary in life, and there might be few things or people who remain longer, but at the of the day, everyone and everything fades away.

When we get attached to a particular person or desire too much, we become obsessive, and controlling around it.

That’s where our unhappiness and anxiousness begin to form.

We can enjoy all the things in life without making ourselves attached to it.

Obviously, easier said than done, but it is 100% possible to master the law of detachment, and once you do that.

You will be more present in what you have and make the most of it!

11. Realize that thinking about the past or future is keeping you stuck

At the end of the day, you have to understand what I have probably said a million times by now,

The present moment is what matters, it is what life is, and it is the only thing that gives you power.

So if all you do is think and worry about the future or past, you are just keeping yourself stuck and drained.

Thinking will not lead you anywhere, but the actions and steps you take now will

You can choose to overthink and waste the moment or make the most out of it now!

This is How you practice living in the present moment

12. Focus on today’s to-do – aka inspired action.

Continuing with the above point, focus on your day’s work

I get it, we get impatient and too focused on the outcome, and we wanna reach our goals faster

But if you are constantly worrying and stressing about it, you are delaying the process, not enjoying it, and simply wasting the moment you have now

Focus each day on your to-do list that helps you get where you want while feeling like you have already reached there

if you do this, you will notice that not only you are able to enjoy the moment more, but you get there faster!

13. Practice mindful eating

As I mentioned above point, practicing mindful eating can be just one of the simple steps to begin practicing living in the present moment!

There are so many benefits to mindful eating other than just being present

Your digestion gets better when you are mindfully eating as well!

14, Add movement to your routine

Moving your body can also help you stay present.

Actively engaging in a physical activity that makes you sweat and heartbeat, you are more focused at the moment, and your mind tends to be quieter!

Do any activity you prefer, dancing, swimming, playing a sport, gym, pilates

the list of activities is endless

choose any that you enjoy and do it more!

15. Do more small things that make you happy

Honestly, when we are truly happy, we are not thinking, we are just in the moment and enjoying.

Think of a moment you felt really happy in the past, and now try to remember what thoughts were running in your head when you were this happy.

No thoughts right?

That’s what I mean! So now if you start doing small things every day that makes you happy you will be more present as you will be thinking less!

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How to practice living in the present moment

Here is why it is important to live in the present more

1. The present moment is the only thing that is real

2. Present moment is the only thing that give you power

3. It improves your mental health, you feel happier and peaceful