Do you think about the past and the future, more often than being here and now in the present moment? You are not alone! This is how our brains are evolutionarily created. But to be happier, we also need to be more present. Therefore, I will give you five tips on how you can become more present in your everyday life!
Feel better by practicing presence
From an evolutionary perspective, it has benefited us as a species to have a mind that not only focuses on the present, but that also wanders between the past and the future. In this way, we have been able to anticipate dangers and learn from mistakes.
Today we know that the ability to be in the present moment is linked to positive emotions, while living too much in the past or the future creates feelings of for example anxiety, stress and depression. By practicing mindfulness, we can become calmer and feel better.
Tips for more mindfulness and presence in everyday life
- Do not use your mobile phone as an alarm clock. When we start the day with the mobile phone in our hands, it often leads to a reactive behavior. We start to react and act on the flow on social media, the notifications, the email and other inputs we received during the night. Starting the day like this, it is unfortunately easy for us to continue the reactive patterns for the rest of the day.
- Create pleasant morning routines. How we start the day often affects how the rest of our day will be. Try to have some activity in your morning routine where you consciously try to be present with your attention and your senses, for example in the shower, when brushing your teeth or when you drink your morning coffee.
- Do one thing at a time. Doing many things at the same time is impossible, so what we do when we multitask is that we change focus, which makes us inefficient and stressed. Switching between different focuses makes us feel divided and not present in what we do.
- Pay attention to your surroundings or your body. To consciously direct attention to trees, plants or the sky can, according to studies, create a feeling of presence, reverence and space. You can also choose to consciously direct your attention to your body, such as your feet, how it feels to stand or walk, etc.
- Pay attention when you have a nice moment. "Ah now I have a good time." It is easy for the gold nuggets to pass in everyday life without us noticing them. But they are far too precious to pass unnoticed!
Mindfulness program at Yogobe – Explore mindfulness
Want to practice mindfulness more in depth? Join our Explore mindfulness program. Yoga and mindfulness teacher Eleonora Ramsby Herrera guide you through six weeks of different kinds of mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness online to stress down
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