Living in the present seems to become more and more difficult as methods of modern distractions arise. This year, Americans reportedly spent over 11 hours a day engaging with various media platforms, according to a study conducted by Nielsen. Our eyes are becoming more familiar with a screen than they are with the views of mother nature. Take a walk around your neighborhood or a park and see how differently your brain behaves when you attempt to soak in your natural surroundings. Observe the changes in your mood.

 

To gain the benefits that comes with living in the present, practice these 5 techniques daily. As you practice, the difficulty of each technique will decrease as your brain becomes accustomed to thinking a different way:

1. Check in with your breath:

The breath is truly a gift. We are built with the ability to mimic ocean sounds. It’s even a breathing technique in yoga called the ujjayi breath. In yoga, the ujjayi breath is used as a focal point during the practice. When living in the present, the breath can be used for the same reason. Throughout your day, start to check in with your breath from time to time. Make this practice a habit and you’ll find yourself becoming free from whatever thought cycle you may be in.

 

2. Notice what comes up:

Throughout the day, our bodies are constantly reacting to internal and external triggers. When a triggering event happens, and you begin to react with stress, take a breath, and notice what comes up. What you may notice coming up may be a sour sensation in your gut, or a clench in your chest. Notice that sensation, acknowledge and observe the feeling, accept where you are, and most importantly be kind to yourself. When you move away from judging your reactions harshly to a position of observation and curiosity of your bodily reaction, you may notice what use to cause you anguish no longer does.

 

3. Acknowledge rumination:

Negative rumination occurs when your mind puts an event or story on a loop. Some rumination can be beneficial when you are able to learn about yourself and grow from your analysis, but more often, rumination is hurtful because you find yourself judging your actions or creating stories that may not be true at all. For instance, you may ruminate over your past failed relationship by mulling over everything you think you did wrong. This loop causes you more stress and keeps you from moving forward. To escape this loop, acknowledge your tendency to ruminate and accept what your thoughts are without needing to believe them. Once you accept your tendency, begin to bring focus back on the task at hand. You can use your breath as a focal point.

 

4. Observe those around you:

The moods of our family and friends, their outlook on life, and their worries often are contagious. As social animals we crave connection with each other. This desire sometimes causes us to connect with our loved ones even when they are sending messages that aren’t beneficial to us. Just as you would observe your own thoughts, rather than believing every single thought (as mentioned in number 3), practice observing your loved one’s thoughts and what they communicate to you as well. Learn to identify messages that help you stay present and reject distorted messages that cause you to ruminate or live in fear of the future.

 

The pursuit of ‘living in the present’ is not an easy journey, but a highly rewarding one. To live in the present means to practice mindfulness as you go through your day to day tasks. There are a plethora of benefits that comes with this practice. As you become better at present living, you’ll notice your healthy and unhealthy habits more, you’ll begin to appreciate small joys more than you did before, such as the taste of food or random conversations with your neighbor, and your overall sense of self may improve as you become more grounded in your goals.