Okay, I know we all have learned a lot about staying in the present moment. But, are we adhere to it? Firstly, let us understand the meaning of staying in the present in a simple sentence, ALIGNING YOUR MIND WITH YOUR BODY means STAYING IN THE PRESENT. It means HERE and NOW. Though not always, we stay in the exact moment we can teach our mind to do as per our directions. We need to guide and shape our minds. A little more care can unleash its potential and lead us to a different and unique journey. It holds immense benefits.
Here are some astonishing benefits of it...
It lowers the grudges and fear: If you observe closely, you will find only a few things to worry about, RIGHT NOW. Once you realize that you don’t have any control over your past and future, you will know the value of the present moment. We can’t predict the future. We can only plan it. A quote mentions, “People fear of death cause they never really lived”. And it made me realize the importance of staying and enjoying the exact moment we have. In the end, you are not going to think about what bad happened to you. You will only relish the good memories. So start collecting them.
Helps in living this exact moment - For instance, if you are reading this with your full focus, this can be normal for you. Still, if you are not present at this exact moment, you will visit again from the beginning of the line to understand what is written about you. And now you know you were present at this moment or not. Also, just in the second line, I mentioned that you WERE present at the moment or not, cause every time, time changes. You need to be present in this exact moment, not thinking about what happened in the last few seconds. Okay, I know it’s a bit difficult, but we can always try. Able to stay in the present moment is a blessing, and we can have that blessing in our life. Little efforts you need to make. Even delicious food requires chewing relishing it.
Helps in being focused - While doing a single task, we not only do the task in hand but also think about the other task. For instance, while working on task 1 of the day, we start to think about the next task. And this is something common that happens with almost every one of us. Once you are committed to staying in the present, our focus will be increased, and you can see the improved quality in the task you do. I feel multi-tasking does not work with everyone. Multi-tasking consumes more time. If you focus on one thing, you will find that you are completing it in less time.
Helps in being mindful and aware: You can feel this. If you start staying in the moment, you will become more aware and mindful about what’s happening inside you, outside you, and around you. Imagine you are sitting and reading this with your eyes but not understanding it with your mind. What will happen? You will realize that you are reading it but not understanding it. This has happened with all of us. A simple reason is that your mind is not in the present moment. It’s wandering either in the past or in the future. The moment you start staying in the present moment, you will be aware and alert. It will take time, but the peace it brings is worth a shot.
Sharpens memory: This is something I have noticed. People say that they don’t remember or they have a bad memory. But, in reality, most of the time, people don’t give their full attention to important things. Their mind is thinking something else. If you are fully present and aware of the moment, you will remember it precisely for a longer time. It’s more about making an effort in staying in the present moment than making an effort to remember it. For instance, if I am working on a doc and save my file randomly in a hurry, I will not remember it. But, If I save my file while being fully attentive at the location, I will remember it easily. I don’t need to command my mind to remember it. It will do for me. Use this feature carefully. Try to remember important things. The way we use our mind decides that it will be an asset or liability. Remember, either you can go with the clock, or you can keep chasing it.
Simple and effective ways to stay in the present moment
Accepting: I have told this earlier as well. Once you accept your past, there is no reason to have grudges in your mind. You will feel light and relaxed. Understand that no one can change their past, NO ONE. Every one of us can only accept it. Accepting it is way easier than having grudges for it. Don’t think how things would have been better if it has gone in a certain way. Either you or I can’t do anything about it except, accepting it. Once you accept, you will get over your past.
Planning: I know planning is about the future, but once we are planning our life and every aspect of it, we can take a seat back. It is not easy to plan your life, but this is more of a one-time investment. I know that you need to modify your planning according to your current situation. Still, if you have your basics ready, you will feel a bit more SECURE. Feeling secure about ourselves and our life makes it simple to live in the present moment. And while planning, try to do research, take guidance from an experienced person. This will give you a broad idea as well as enough confidence to plan. Starting will be difficult, but once you see the result, you will thank yourself later.
Take a break: When you feel that you cannot align your body and mind, take a break. When you feel that single thought is disturbing you, again and again, break the pattern. You can take a walk to distract yourself. While walking, look at the things around you. If still, the thoughts persist, then you can try another method as well. Breathing exercise is glorified cause it works. The moment you feel you are dwelling on your past or stressing over your future, take a moment. Do breathing exercises. Apart from this, visually embracing the beauty of nature works every time. If possible, take a break and just feel natural. You can look outside of your window and appreciate the beauty of the sky. After COVID-19 ends, you can take a walk in the garden and admire the beauty around you every time you visit there.
Drink water: Now, this is something different I felt in recent times. Sometimes we get too engrossed in our work that we look at the screen or somewhere else while drinking water. So what we can do is, before drinking water, as soon as you pick up the glass/bottle, look at it consciously, see its transparency and then drink it calmly, sip by sip. Many times busy people just grab the bottle and drink it at once. It’s not the correct way to drink it. Water needs to be drunk slowly and calmly. And you can feel the calmness while drinking. It is another reason people say that drinking water when you are angry. But, if we drink it in a gushy way, how will it make us feel calm? So, calmly pick up the bottle and drink it mindfully. This goes with eating as well. Before eating, calmly show gratitude towards it.
Do what you love: This is something you can do weekly. It’s like a meditation. Meditation simply means doing what gains your full focus. And anything which you love doing can be your meditation. But it needs to be your meditation and not your addiction. For instance, playing a video requires your full attention. Still, it will become an addiction if not done within a limit. So choose something related to art. For instance, you can do painting, DIY, dance, signing or even cooking. The only thing is you need to have a love for it. Sparing 1 hour a week is not a difficult task. It’s a way to take care of yourself. You are special, and treat yourself like one.
Perfectly described by Alice Morse Earle, “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.”
Let me know what works for you, and you’re welcomed to add more in the comments below.
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