In a world full of distractions, it’s become increasingly important to learn how to detach ourselves from all the surrounding “buzz” and become more present. In fact, we owe it to ourselves to pause once in awhile and take in all that life has to offer.
Do you ever find yourself sitting down to write an email, and then you get a sudden urge to check your Facebook? Scrolling your newsfeed turns into browsing YouTube videos and before you know it, an hour has passed until you finally realize you still haven’t written that email.
We live in such a fast paced world and with all the noise that surrounds us, it’s become quite difficult to stay present.
Most of us are aware of the benefits of paying attention to the world around us. However, when it comes to putting it into practice we don’t know where to begin. If you’re looking for stress reduction, increased productivity, higher quality relationships, and more happiness here are five ways to live in the moment.
Breathe
Stopping to breathe, even for a few moments, allows you to check in with yourself and tap into your intuition. The more you can harness your intuition the more conscious you will become allowing yourself to make clearer decisions. Your breathing is also always in the present moment.
Limit notifications
Technology is an excellent tool when used properly, but it easily becomes distracting. Make it a priority to determine which notifications are important and turn off the rest. An overwhelmed mind is not a present mind.
Step away from the noise
Limiting your notifications is the perfect first step, but imagine yourself away from your devices for an hour. If you’re a millennial like me this might be hard to imagine, but just think for a second, our parents and their parents never had all of these distractions.
Once you get past the need to know what’s going on in everyone else’s life, you allow yourself to focus on what’s going on in yours.
Go outside
When is the last time you really went outside? I’m not talking about walking to and from your car when you leave the office. Think back to your younger years.
Do you remember that sense of joy you felt as a child running your fingers through a patch of grass? Or the feelings of happiness when you tried to make shapes out of clouds. It’s no surprise that connecting with nature can increase your happiness.
Focus on the details
We get so caught up in our response that sometimes we fail to listen. Whether it’s a conversation with a loved one or listening to the birds chirping while sipping your morning coffee focus on the intricacies each situation offers.
The beauty of being present is that when we’re focused on the now, our fears disappear, we can ignore outside distractions, and we make decisions that are based off of what we care about the most.
After overcoming a medical trauma, Gary has been inspiring others to overcome their challenges. For more inspiration and to learn more about his story, visit laughatadversity.com
You’ve read 5 Ways to Become More Present Everyday, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
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