Living Life in the Present Moment
“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life.”
— Eckhart Tolle
To live as our healthy, conscious adult selves, we must live in the present moment. This is a choice we can make over and over again. For most of my life, I had a vocal inner critic who constantly reminded me of my failures and judged me throughout the day. “Move faster,” “Get more done,” and “You’re falling behind,” were the kind of thoughts that ran on a constant loop in my head. When I realized I could choose which thoughts I wanted to latch onto, the inner critic quieted. She no longer runs the show!
We tend to operate from our egoic, autopilot mind, which lives in the past or future. Throughout the day, as we ruminate on past events or worry about future consequences, we must notice and then bring our attention to the present moment. It is in the present moment that we live as our best selves.
The more we do this, the more naturally we live in the present moment. This could mean taking your mind from feeling rushed to get out the door to reminding yourself that you can only do things one at a time and focusing on the next task at hand. You will probably still leave at the same time but without the anxiety and elevated heart rate from rushing around. I find that whenever I remember to notice my feet on the floor or my back against the chair I’m sitting in, I’m immediately back in the present moment. When I’m back in the present, I ask myself what I need and maybe it’s to take a drink of water or shake off some stale energy. The more I do this, the easier it becomes.
Here are some ways to bring yourself into the present moment:
Set your intention. - If we hope for change without changing our environment, routines, and mindset, we will operate the same way we always have. Intentionality takes focus. You could write “I live life in the present moment” or “Remember to stay present” and post your intention on a Post-it and put it on your monitor, fridge, or bathroom mirror. Intention can be both a mental reminder and a physical act that triggers you to take action.
With a written intention, you are reminded of your goal. Here are some other ideas for written intentions that can help you move into the present moment:
I notice my surroundings.
I live as the healthiest version of myself.
I witness my thoughts.
I am making positive changes in my life.
What resonates with you?
Become aware. Awareness is key. Become aware of your patterns, thoughts, habits, and triggers. I think half of the work is noticing and the other half is making the changes. If you are aware that you don’t live in the present moment very often, you are halfway there!
Focus on your goal. When the inner critic pipes up with unkind thoughts or you realize you haven’t been in the present moment for a while, remind yourself of your goal and don’t dwell on your mistakes or get carried away in negative thinking. It might be soothing to place your hand on your heart and tell yourself, “I’m doing something new, I’m living in the present moment so that I can live as my healthiest adult self. This is a process and I’m working hard.”
Distance yourself from negative thoughts. Ask Eckhart Tolle beautifully reminds us, we are not our thoughts we are the observers of our thoughts. Choose the thoughts that propel you forward and allow the judgemental or mean thoughts to pass you by. As the observer of your thoughts, you have this power of choice.
Living in the present moment requires a small but daily commitment. One that I know you can do!
“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
Retraining my brain
Things that helped me retrain my brain so that I could become aware of my thoughts and then distance myself from the ones that were hurting me:
Being in nature
Practicing gratitude
Finding my feet on the floor
Scanning the room and letting my eyes settle on an object and noticing everything I could about the object
Taking deep breaths
Turning off phone notifications so I could focus
Soothing music
Drinking water
My selenite wand (I place it on my lap during times I want to focus)
Journaling
The realization that I can live intentionally has helped me to stay in the present moment.
How much of your life do you live in the present moment?
On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being low), be honest with yourself as you answer these questions. Most of the time, I:
Consciously choose my thoughts.
Set - and stick to - my intentions daily.
Focus on what I am doing.
Respond versus react to others and myself.
How did you do? If you ranked 7+ on these, awesome. But, if you aren’t sure or ranked below a 5, let’s chat! Living in the present moment means you are choosing yourself and creating the life you deserve.
Rebecca Fellenbaum is a certified life coach, intuitive guide, blogger (yep, you’re reading it right now), and entrepreneur. She helps women who have “made it” on the outside feel great about themselves on the inside so they can find joy in their lives, kids, and families. Get her free guide: Slowing Down: 9 Steps to Live With Intention to start meaning it when you say you’re doing fine.
