Living in the Now. Living life today on today’s terms. Living in the present is a recognized and evidence-backed lifestyle that is important for everyone particularly those struggling with anxiety and stress in their day-to-day life.
Being in the present moment or the“here and now,” means that we are aware and mindful of what is happening at this very moment. We only live in the present moment and everything happens in the present moment.
So often I see people living in the past, reliving the past. Perseverating on the past, talking about certain life events as if the occurred just yesterday or last week when it was really several years ago. Being stuck in the past, wanting to do things differently or not being able to move beyond that period of time. “If only I had done this or that …. things could have been different.” This type of thinking can increase anxiety and depression. All we can do is learn from the past, savor the good times and learn from the bad ones, but don’t get stuck in the past. Getting stuck will only slow you down or keep you there alone. Besides we can’t change the past. We can try to understand past and through understanding it will give us wisdom and life perspective. One way to get focused on living in the now is to quiet the mind through, exercise, meditation, journaling, or doing the things that bring you happiness and connection with your inner self like music, dancing, art, yardwork, interacting with nature, pets or friendship.
Don’t put off enjoying or appreciating today, because you are going to get to the “good part” of living in the future. I submit that you can work towards your future today, while also enjoying life today. The daily grind is the part of the preparation. Think of it as training and conditioning for the future. It’s a part of the process and it makes us stronger. The grind can be very difficult, but we must not forget to enjoy and appreciate the good things in life too. Our hearts joy usually comes from very simple things like a good friend who makes you smile, or the clouds floating across the sky, the warmth of the sun, the songs of birds in spring, dancing to your favorite song, that’s food for the soul.
There is one guarantee which is that life comes with challenges for everyone and that is normal. The real issue is knowing this, accepting it and embracing it. Being prepared for the challenges mentally so they don’t crush you. You can crush it and make it through with the resilience of salmon swimming upstream, it’s just a part of the process to get to the good part. Appreciating the joys of being human. Being oriented to the present moment is the key to staying centered and grounded.
