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The advice to “live in the moment,” or some variation of it can be found in a million different articles, books, videos, and podcasts. But if it were that easy, we would all be doing it. We wouldn’t need to be told to do it. So how does it work? How do we live in the moment? I’ll go over this in today’s blog post.
When you aren’t living in the moment, you become a victim of time. Your mind is pulled into the past or the future, or both. Of course, it’s natural to spend moments of thought in the past or in daydreams of the future. But so often, we let the present slip away, allowing time to rush past unobserved and we worry about the future and overthink the past.
Choosing to live in the past or the future not only robs your enjoyment, but it also robs you of truly living. The only important moment is the present moment.
Here are some tricks to help you along the way to live in the moment, live more mindful and becoming happier in the process.
How To Live In The Moment
Find A Job You Love
If you’re in a job where you dream about Friday on a Monday already, then you know there’s something wrong. You spend a huge part of your life at your job and you don’t want to just survive every week. This holds you back from living in the present moment, you’re only longing for the weekend.
This is not how you want to live your life so if this is the case with your job, it might be time to start looking for something else. Ask yourself what makes you happy, which tasks do you like, which tasks do you hate, what type of company do you want to work for? etc.
Appreciate The Little Things (and The Big Ones!)
This might sound like an obvious one but I don’t know about you, but I sometimes forget being grateful. Life goes by so quickly that you easily miss out on appreciating the little things, such as a gorgeous sunny day or someone who made you laugh. You might not even notice the big things in life! This is a sign that you don’t live in the moment.
The best thing to do to make you aware of the things around you is to make a list of 3-5 things you’re grateful for every single day. This will help you notice the small (and big) but awesome things around you!
Forgive Past Hurt
Holding resentment towards another person because of the past holds you from living in the present. It’s easier said than done but choose to forgive and move on. The pain is/was their fault, but allowing it to impact your mood today is yours. Let go and choose to be present at the moment instead.
The present moment can only be as it is. Trying to change it only frustrates and exhausts you. Acceptance relieves you of this extra suffering. Acceptance of an unpleasant state doesn’t mean you don’t have goals for the future. It just means you accept that certain things are beyond your control.
Be More Positive
Don’t dwell on the past, on mistakes, on every little thing in life. Try to be more positive instead. If you try to make the best out of every situation, you’ll enjoy your life more and also be way more present. If you like your life in the present moment, you don’t have to live in the past or worry about the future.
You are in control of your mood every morning, keep it positive. Be intentional about it and you’ll find yourself doing it every day without even realizing it.
Stop Waiting
Stop waiting for a better life, better health, a better job, more money, etc. How many of us are waiting for the “something better” to come along? I see myself thinking like this every now and then. We dream about the future and when things “will be better”. We believe the most important moment is still to come, yet NOW is the only important moment.
If there’s something that really needs to change in your life, then work for it. Stop waiting for it to just happen because it won’t suddenly be there. If you really want something, you have to put in the work.
Give Your Friends Attention
Yes, your full attention. Put your phone away and listen to what your friend has to tell you. You will often find that they will then return the same act and listen to you more mindfully when you speak, making your relationship with the other person stronger and more meaningful.
Moreover, I truly believe you will enjoy the moments with your friends even more if you live in the moment. Give them your attention, laugh, have fun!
What do you do to live in the moment more often? Let me know in the comments!
