7 Things You Can Start Doing Today to Be More Present

Feel like time is flying?

Do you forget what you had for lunch ?

Have you ever arrived at your destination and not been able to remember how you got there?

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”  unknown

Below are 7 tips to help you live in the moment!

1. Look up and acknowledge when someone enters the room, especially if it’s your child or a significant other.   Make sure you look at them, smile and to ensure you are fully present and not just going through the motions, make it a habit to mentally take note of what they are wearing. Acknowledgment shows them how much you value them. Boom, big love.

2. When you are at the check out at the grocery store or paying a store clerk make it a habit to engage the person who is assisting you in light conversation. Don’t answer your phone when you are in a face to face conversation with anyone (unless it’s an emergency or that call you’ve been waiting for for days.) Show people common courtesy and respect.   Present and accounted for. Bam!

3.Focus on the task at hand. Whether you are tying your shoes, killing it at your work presentation  or  drinking a mojito, Focus. When you are driving focus on driving. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve  started driving out of my neighborhood and ended up going the wrong direction, not focusing on where I was headed.  Focus forces you to be in the moment.

4.Make it a point to sit down and eat your meals. No more grabbing a bar and running to your next meeting. Give yourself 10 minutes at the very  least to sit down and actually taste the food you are fueling your body with.   Eating high quality fuel food will help you too but that’s a whole other blog post….

5. Each morning, make it a point to sit down and make a list of any negative thoughts  you are thinking or any pressing issues.   See if there is anything you can do to remedy any situations to get them off your mind and plate.   Question the validity of your negative thoughts.   Remember 98% of the negative thoughts we think aren’t even true. I highly recommend  a process called “The Work”  by Byron Katie.  Change your thoughts and you will change your life literally.

6.When the phone rings train yourself to stop and think thoughts of kindness to yourself and the person on the other end of the line. The sound of your ringtone can serve as your signal to check in to the present moment.

7. Each morning take 5 minutes to glance at your day and consider how you want people to feel when they encounter you and how they will feel after you leave them.

“People will forget what you said.  People  will forget what you did.  But people will never forget how you made them feel. ”  —Maya Angelou

Stop living in the past or constantly thinking about what’s next.  Start now!

xo