It’s human nature to spend too much time thinking about the past or worrying about the future. It’s where the mind naturally wants to go while we go about our busy and often over-stressed lives. However, what good is it really doing us? Focusing on the wrongs of the past doesn’t give us the opportunity to change them, and no matter how hard we try to prepare for the future there is no way to know what may be coming around the next corner. While we may think that we’re doing our best in preparing or learning, what we’re really doing is damaging our emotional health while ignoring the present moment we’re in.
At Technalink we know that the best way to recognize the reality of any situation is to live within it as it’s happening. With a busy and stress filled modern business world, we miss so much by unconsciously refusing to live in the here and now. For instance, if you try to read a book while watching television, you’re likely not going to be able to give your full attention to both at the same time; and failing to live in the present works the same way. While you may be living in the right now, if your mind is worrying about what is coming up next, you’re not able to give this present moment the attention it deserves.
Most times we don’t really realize that we’re not living in the present unless we really think about it as the mind wanders between things we’ve done and things that haven’t happened yet. When we learn to live in the present we experience better clarity, more positivity, and further calm to guide us in our lives and on our compassionate leadership journeys. To bring yourself to the present moment at any time, a few helpful tips are:
• Use your 5 senses – While our minds may be elsewhere, our 5 senses are always living in the present. To bring yourself back to the right now, focus on what you see, what you hear, what you can feel, what you can smell, and what you taste. This forces you to ground yourself and focus on what is presently around you.
• Use mindful breathing – When you focus on your breath, you focus on mindfulness in the moment. Breathe deeply, slowly, and just observe your breath as it enters and exits your body.
• Surrender to your feelings – Were you thinking about a future event and causing yourself anxiety? Recognize that feeling, observe it, and see it through. Not only will it bring you back to the present, but it will help you realize how focusing on the future may be doing you more harm than good.
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