How to LIVE IN THE MOMENT
AVOID GETTING OVERWHELMED BY THE DAY-TO-DAY WITH THESE MINDFUL TIPS
Stop for a minute and let your mind wander. Do you immediately begin worrying about something in the future – bills, work or family? Maybe you linger on something from the past. Wouldn’t it be great if we could train our brains to enjoy moments in the here and now?
When we place our attention on the ‘now’, we instantly become free from the unpleasant past or worrisome future. According to executive coach Muffy Churches, by choosing to be in the moment, we give ourselves permission to luxuriate fully in our six senses as they operate for us.
“We see, hear, feel, taste, smell and intuit in real time, experiencing our life story second by second in full technicolour without being distracted by concerns for the future or regrets about the past,” she explains.
Here are the key ways to live perfectly in the right now...
MAKE THE DECISION TO TRY IT
According to Muffy, the art of ‘living more in the moment’ is definitely a gradual process, and the first step is to make the personal decision that we want to try.
“One of the best ways to sell the concept to ourselves is to start paying attention to the quality of our thinking – how often do we entertain reoccurring thoughts that are based in worry, concern, anger or frustration?” she says.
We often hear them playing like broken records in the little moments while taking a shower or driving to work.
“Are they helping us or are they just creating ongoing misery?” she says.
REHEARSE
Each day, find a moment to sit quietly, close your eyes and practise being in your ‘right now’.
“Whenever a worrisome thought about the future or the past appears, choose to let it slide past you and refocus on yourself in the moment, using all of your senses,” says Muffy.
“If you’re a goal-oriented person, simply make ‘living in the now’ one of your goals.”
INCREASE SELFAWARENESS
Muffy recommends that as we move through the day, we should be able to notice the unhelpful thought patterns as they occur.
“Simply label them, accept them, then choose to let them go, refocusing attention on the right
here, right now,” she says.
“You’ll begin to replace concerns with productive, solution-focused thinking.”
MINDFULLY ENJOY
You’ve been practising and already you’ve noticed some changes. Muffy says you should revel in noticing the emotional freedom that you’ve created for yourself by living in your ‘now’.
“By lessening the worry, you’ve opened thought-space for more fun, more smiles and more joy,” she explains.
“As you ‘max’ each moment you’ve gained more delicious control over your life experience.”
WHEN YOUR MIND WANDERS
It’s natural for our minds to wander – it’s simply waiting for direction, says Muffy.
“The wonderful thing to know is that each moment offers us thought-choice if we decide to take advantage of it,” she says.
“We can guide our mind the way we ride a horse, using a light touch on the reigns to redirect it. Being more in the moment allows us to create the personal control, comfort and confidence that most of us crave.’