There is a lot of power in bringing yourself to the present. At Technalink, we encourage our teams to learn techniques to bring themselves back to the present when they feel overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, or indecisive. All too often, these stressful feelings are the result of allowing our minds to get ahead of us; running away with toxic thoughts that spiral far away from what the reality really is. Bringing yourself to the present brings you back to reality and lets you make sense of those toxic thoughts so you can put them in their place.
There are a few things you can do to bring yourself back to the present moment, and 5 of these include:
1. Stop and notice your surroundings – Bringing yourself into the present moment can be as simple as taking notice of your current surroundings. When you feel that stress starting to bubble up, stop for just a few seconds and notice the color on the walls, the smell in the air, how your water may feel cold or how your tea feels warm, and what your body is feeling right now. Soon you’ll find that those thoughts have less power as they fade into the background.
2. Accept the situation as it is – We tend to subconsciously place expectations on different things in our lives. These expectations force us to think about how things “should” be, rather than what they really are. When a situation brings stress or feelings of overwhelm, take the “should” out of your mind and sit with what the situation actually is.
3. Practice meditation – Meditation is an excellent way to bring your whole self back into the present almost immediately. You only need a few moments to sit and focus on your mantra, so it’s something you can squeeze in at any point in the day. Guided meditation with a set of mala prayer beads can help you to focus on any short, or long, mindful meditation session quickly.
4. Practice deep breathing – Focusing on the breath is something that is a crucial part of mindful meditation, but you don’t have to be meditating to do it. Something as simple as focusing on the breath while you’re in conversation, a meeting, or waiting in line lets you tap into one facet of mindfulness at any second.
5. Take a social media break – Social media can be addictive, and it’s a big reason why many find themselves feeling more stressed than usual in recent years. If you’re thinking about updating Instagram instead of how good your meal is going to be, or the notifications are going off in your pocket while you’re already juggling your attention elsewhere, it’s time to take a break. A break from social media can help you to live better in the present.
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