You've probably heard it many times before - it's important to live in the moment. You may also have heard similar advice, for example:
- “Don’t get hung up on thoughts about the past or future—live in the present!”
- “Be present in your life.”
- “All you have is this moment. Don’t let it slip away.”
Let go of the past, stop worrying about the future, and appreciate the present so you can live a more fulfilling life.
I ask myself: What is the most loving thing I can do for myself and others right now? Then I come to the point. — Leo Babauta
Research has shown that you will be happier if you worry less about the future or focus on the past and spend more time living in the present.
Here are seven ways to live in the present:
- Develop genuine loving relationships with others.
- Put down your phone and experience the present moment.
- Don't let your mind wander when performing everyday tasks.
- Realize the absurdity of worrying about tiny moments in time.
- Understand that worrying does not solve the problem.
- Recognize how holding on to hurtful memories imprisons you.
- Practice mindfulness and presence through mindful meditation.
Do you remember when you were a child and looked forward to your birthday or New Year? Maybe you'll count down the days until your favorite holiday. And when this day passes, you will start counting again.
I remember that at twelve years old I couldn't wait to be fourteen. Then, at fourteen, I couldn't wait to turn sixteen. At sixteen, I couldn't wait to be an adult with my own home and my own rules.
Then, as I became an adult, I kept thinking about my childhood memories. I had responsibilities that I had never faced before. Work was necessary to pay rent and buy groceries, not just to have extra money to go to the movies on the weekends.
Then I realized that I had never lived in the moment. I have never been happy with my “now.” I always thought, “Oh, the future will be better.”
It's kind of a paradox, isn't it? You think that you need to get to some arbitrary point in the future and everything will work out. Then you look back and think, “Wow, life was so great back then.”
You need to enjoy every moment and not constantly wait for the next one.
You will get to the end of your life so quickly. Think about it. Have you ever reached the end of a day, week, month or year and thought, “Wow! Where did the time go?
If you always live for the future, how will you enjoy the present?
The Link Between Presence and Happiness
Living in the moment is one of the main sources of happiness. You may think this is nonsense. You may even think that you are living in the moment.
But I would like to challenge this idea. You probably think about the future or past more than you think about what you are doing now.
In the morning when you brush your teeth, do you think about keeping your pearly whites clean, or do you think about what you need to do next? Maybe you have one of those never-ending to-do lists that you never manage to accomplish that is constantly on your mind.
- What about during dinner? Do you like the food? Or are you watching a video or checking something on your phone?
- How about going on vacation? Are you focused on capturing every moment?
- On Sunday evenings, do you constantly think about going back to work on Monday? You won't even be able to enjoy the last moments of relaxation after the weekend if the stress of the new week doesn't begin.
Mind wandering actually leads to feelings of unhappiness. In 2012, Matt Killingsworth, Ph.D., created an app called Track Your Happiness, which asked people to answer questions about their daily experiences to track their happiness. It collected more than 650,000 real-time reports from more than 15,000 people of varying ages, races, socioeconomic status, and education.
Ultimately, the responses to the questions demonstrated a strong connection between living in the present moment and overall happiness. The app sent them notifications to answer questions at random times throughout the day.
Some of these questions include:
- How do you feel now?
- What are you doing?
- Are you thinking about anything other than what you are doing now?
After studying the results, Killingsworth found that people were much happier when they were focused on the present than when they let their minds wander. But does this connection mean that mind wandering is the cause of these feelings of unhappiness?
Well, the evidence suggests that regardless of the task, people feel happier when they focus solely on what they are doing. Let's say someone was doing something unpleasant, like cleaning the toilet. The data showed that people who were focused on cleaning were happier than those who let their minds think about other things.
So, if this is true, then how does presence bring more happiness into your life, beyond its principle? Well, being present can allow you to develop deeper and more meaningful relationships with others and, in turn, lead to a happier life.
Harvard research by Grant and Gluck studied 724 people over 75 years and found that long-term happiness resulted from strong relationships. This fact doesn't mean that having a lot of friends or followers on Instagram will make you happy.
Instead, true happiness is the result of genuine connection with others. How do you develop this type of connection with others? When you're together, you need to be fully engaged with that person.
How often have you checked your phone while sitting across from someone you're having lunch with? Your phone can wait. The person who sent you an email, text message, or direct message can wait.
Put down your phone and experience the limited time you have to spend with the person sitting across from you. The people in your life will feel more valued, and you will develop deeper, happier relationships with the most important people in your life.
how to enjoy every moment of life?
Practice “Taste of Presence”
We want to offer you a simple but very exciting practice. It is primarily designed for women, but men can also try it to begin to feel better about the world, the people in it, and themselves. And, in addition, this practice will help you remember what it is like: enjoying the moment “here and now”, like in childhood.
So, divide the next week according to your organs of perception.
And every day, pay attention to one of the senses: smell, touch, vision, hearing and taste.
Smell
For example, today you spend the whole day sniffing everything that comes into your hands, and pay special attention to smells. The smell of tobacco smoke, the smell of fresh newspaper, the smell of custard on a cake, the smell of the things you put on yourself. Smell as if the smell is unfamiliar to you. Look for notes of soaked apple, violet, vanilla, earth or leather in each scent.
Make your day fulfilling through the Taste of Presence.
Touch
Dedicate the next day, for example, to kinesthetic sensations. Touch different textures, touch different objects, touch softly and gently through stroking or patting.
Start to feel with your fingertips not just the texture, but the energy of those things or objects, and maybe even the people you touch.
Hearing
After another day, start listening to different sounds: music in a cafe, street noise, the monotonous “buzz” of conversations, fragments of random phrases, the pattering of rain, the splashing of water... And in the evening, choose music and dance a little. Feel what kind of music you need now: a smooth and calm dance or a riot to the beat of shamanic drums. The best option is if the rhythms replace each other in one composition
. This way you can experience different sounds, tempos and moods. Turn on the music, stand for a few seconds, allowing the music to penetrate your body. Now turn off your thoughts, just let your body move the way it wants. Let the dance happen - surrender to it, enjoy it and create it!
Taste
On a day dedicated to taste, try different unusual or even exotic dishes that are unusual for you.
Maybe it's green seaweed salad, Korean soup or baked mussels. Or, conversely, you haven’t eaten the most ordinary food for a long time: buckwheat porridge, fresh radishes, boiled potatoes... Look for the taste in every, even the simplest product, explore it and enjoy it.
Vision
Dedicate the day of visual perception of the world to searching for the beauty around you. On the way to work, pay attention to everything: birds, bright cars or colorful umbrellas, the rays of the sun or the reflection of trees in puddles.
, on stylishly dressed passers-by, on flowers or on birch branches with the first spring buds. If you can find some time during the day, go to an art exhibition or try to create a painting yourself, even if you think you don't know how to draw.
Expand your sensory perception of the world - and your life will be filled with bright moments, rich colors, pleasant surprises, joy and pleasure!
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“Recoding Consciousness”, online meeting
Friends, right now before our eyes the process of transition to a new dimension and the global evolution of the Earth is taking place. This process is not always simple; it is accompanied by cataclysms and the collapse of the old world. The light of every person is of great importance now!
The more people begin to “glow” in collective meditations and energy practices, the more we spread this light across the Earth. And the faster the situation on the planet changes in a positive direction.
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Why is it so difficult to live in the moment?
When you reflect on the past, you are looking at a shorter, edited version of the reality that happened. Even on the best days of your life, there are periods of time that were boring or even uncomfortable. Or, if you had what you consider a bad day, there may have been times during that day when you were genuinely happy.
Your brain captures the most exciting moments of the day and discards everything else. Your memory associates good or bad feelings with every significant moment in your life. Therefore, nostalgic thoughts are a distorted sense of reality.
When your mind wanders, it clings to these memories. If you had a happy childhood, you may have enjoyed thinking about childhood more than living in the moment. Your past may have memories that seem happier than your present day.
Or memories from the past may keep resurfacing because you haven't let go of something. Additionally, when you constantly tell yourself not to think about a bad memory, you in turn meditate more on that thought.
If you find yourself constantly thinking about the future, you may be trying to escape your current reality or obsessed with the idea that things will be better in the future. You might even just be worried about the uncertainty that comes with an unknown future.
You are trying to escape the simplicity of the present moment.
Neither of these ways of living are healthy. You can easily get into the habit of overthinking.
Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now, believes that just like any other addiction, such as drugs or alcohol, you can become addicted to overthinking. You can overcome this problem by being aware of your present moment and practicing moments of mindlessness.
"Enjoy the moment!". Why doesn't this slogan work in parenting?
The problems of parenting are being talked about more and more often today: we already know about burnout, postpartum depression, crises of three, five and beyond. And yet, sometimes parents are advised to “stop whining and start enjoying the moment.” Our blogger Evgenia Oleynik explains why this doesn’t work.
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“We have to enjoy the moment. Why aren’t you enjoying it yet?” - this phrase is especially infuriating in the context of a parent’s desire to share and whine. “We didn’t get enough sleep, the baby was in our arms all the time, he wouldn’t let go even for a second, he was tormented by colic!” Enjoy! The child will grow up! Then you will remember and be touched by how sweet little heels kicked you in the face all night, or how you rocked a screaming baby day and night. Enjoy, because it will get worse. Well, then there are horror stories about how children grow teeth, how they become hysterical at three, four, or five and do not allow themselves to be picked up. But wait, don't you enjoy this?
The advice to “enjoy the moment” sounds like devaluation. That is, now you are not aware of your happiness at all and allow yourself to be negative. But you have to enjoy it, come on, start already! I always remember the wonderful phrase: “To get out of your comfort zone, you first need to enter this zone.” It’s the same about enjoying the moment: it’s difficult to capture all the joy of the moment when your primary physical needs are not satisfied.
Can you appreciate that magical light on Rembrandt’s canvases if you really want to go to the toilet? What the hell are the pictures, where is the most amazing picture in the world with the treasured WC symbols? That’s how a tired parent doesn’t sniff the sweet top of the head at fitball at two in the morning and doesn’t enjoy the moment. And all because there, just a meter away from you, there is a pillow and a bed, so welcome!
In general, not everything is so sad, of course. Enjoying the moment is an amazing skill that you can develop. When you have settled into this moment, settled comfortably and feel good. When you realize that temporary discomfort does not outweigh positive emotions. Gradually, little by little, for some earlier, for others later, but this very enjoyment of the moment definitely comes. This doesn’t happen at the snap of a finger, but from comments like “We should be happy, but here you are whining!” It won't get any better. Only time and support will help.
And then the time comes when all those moments that you should have enjoyed, but you didn’t have time, begin to be remembered with a smile. Oh, do you remember how my daughter was screaming in a sun lounger and spitting out mashed potatoes? Look, the carrots never came off the ceiling. And how did they take turns sleeping and on the street at two o’clock in the morning they rolled her in a stroller so that she could sleep? Eh, this is romance! Maybe we can repeat it? So that next time you will definitely have time to enjoy the moment.
You are in the "Blogs" section. The author's opinion may not coincide with the position of the editors.
Photo: shutterstock / Irina Bg
Map, Clock and Reviews
Just go. Lately, we all feel obligated to make the best decisions possible every time. Even if it's all about buying a toothbrush.
When going on vacation, we plan in advance the route for each day of our stay.
Remove the city map. Don't read restaurant reviews, just sit down and order. Don't look at the clock, do what you feel, whether it's 2 am or day.
Live here and now
How funny it would be if it weren't so sad! This is the cause of many of our problems. There are no “then” and “in a year.” There is only here and now. In one of his books, Dale Carnegie teaches us to live for today. He says that one must live “in a sealed capsule of today.” Live here and now. No yesterday, no tomorrow. Available only today.
Having accepted this, we feel the energy appear to make difficult decisions that we would not have been able to make before. For example, an addiction, smoking. “I’ll quit tomorrow,” “on Monday,” “in a week,” “after the New Year.” We have heard these phrases thousands of times. And if there is no tomorrow, then we are left alone with the habit today, we decide to quit smoking right now, without postponing it indefinitely. After all, we want to quit. And if there is no tomorrow, then we must do it in the current 24 hours. Do it in the present.
This is true for most things in our lives.
7. Whatever you do, don't plan every minute.
We all have so much to do. We always feel like we are running somewhere.
Let life go spontaneously.
If you're reading this, chances are you have at least some control over your schedule. Don't plan every minute with activities. Leave time for relaxation, for spontaneity. Your brain will thank you for this. Your energy levels too. And even your mood.
This way you also make room for the unexpected. For the opportunity to say “yes” to an impromptu invitation to see a street performance, have a picnic, or just take a walk in the park or have a coffee date.
Get out of your normal path
It doesn't get any easier than this.
Consider changing your route to work and back home. Consider trying that food on the menu that you don't even know what it is. Consider trying a new drink or cocktail. Consider listening to people you usually avoid.
Everyone has a story, and most have a killer one to share. You can learn something new from every person you meet and gain new experiences that you can benefit from.
Quotes about moments in life
In the moment... A popular phrase in the modern world. Often used on social networks, especially in statuses. Our whole life is made up of moments. They can be good, funny, sad, and many more classifications can be added.
If you need to describe a certain moment in your life, but don’t know what words to choose, just look through quotes about moments in life. Choose exactly the one that will give you goosebumps. There are many of these in the collection.
Apart from the edge of the current moment, the whole world consists of what no longer exists.
Karol Izhikowski
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Don't waste the best moments of your life just because you are not confident.
Nicolas Cage
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Life is measured not by the number of inhalations and exhalations taken, but by the number of those moments when happiness takes your breath away.
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There is always something going on, there are no ordinary moments.
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The only thing valuable in life is the moment.
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Sometimes the moment you've been waiting for so long comes at the most inopportune time...
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I love the way a photograph captures a moment before it disappears.
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Every minute that passes is another chance to change everything.
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You need to be able to seize good moments and take advantage of them.
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Sometimes a moment is enough to forget life, and sometimes life is not enough to forget a moment.
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How to capture the current moment?
I believe the easiest way to experience the present moment is through a combination of solitude and nature. Go alone to the park. Let go of all thoughts while walking. Stop. Sharpen your senses. Feel it. The warmth that the sun gives you. Light touches of the wind. The smell of vegetation. Rustle of leaves. A palette of colors harmoniously selected by nature. This is real. Here and now. In the current moment.
Over time, try to do this in a normal environment. You will get much more impressions from your life and will be in a good mood more often. Enjoy the present. And let the future go like an elusive phantom. It will definitely happen, don't worry. There is no need to think a lot about it. Just remember to follow the course you have chosen. And do something every day to get closer to your cherished goal.
Enjoy every moment of your life while your heart works like a new engine.
Be here. Be now.
Say yes and say no
Both are equally important.
First, saying “yes” more often exposes you to incredible new experiences. You can think big, like finally going on that trip, or more local, like going to an impromptu show. Both are equally effective in moving oneself towards new states and sensations.
The other side of the always saying yes coin tells a different story. You know what we're talking about. This is when “no” comes into play.
A very good example: this is the story that Jim Carrey got himself into in the movie Always Say Yes. Although he initially said yes and changed his life in this wonderful adventure, by the end of the film he couldn't take it anymore. It was too much to say yes.
To be able to say yes to the things you want, you must also be comfortable saying no to everything and everyone.
This means: that informal meeting, that wedding, that deadline that no one asked if you could do it, that shopping list, and so on. You know better what is being said, and you can already remember a few of your own examples. Therefore, you need to be able to say no gently.
Spend time outside
You've heard it before.
All of us living in the city miss sunlight, fresh air and the peace that comes with it.
If you say it can't be done because of your busy schedule, try walking more from one building to another. Or just go outside during short breaks at work.
Little moments like these count and they add up in the end. Don't lose sight of them and don't underestimate their power.
Keep control of your presence on the Internet
It's not about going off the grid completely. We truly benefit from the benefits that the internet has to offer us. But keep it under control.
The research is clear on this issue. The World Happiness Report, which comes out every year, confirms this. People spend more time online than interacting with each other in person, which has unprecedented negative side effects on our happiness levels.
The logic is simple. If you want to increase your level of happiness, all you have to do is go somewhere, visit someone, read a magazine or a book. Instead of watching a movie at home, visit an art exhibition. The possibilities are endless when you focus on the little things.
