They Tell Us To "Be More Present," But How Do We Actually Do That?

Being Present Can Actually Be Super Effective, We Just Have to Learn How to Do So First.

I'm Sure You Have Read It Before...

No matter if you are just starting in the personal development space, or have been around it for years working on yourself, you probably hear this all the time.

"Be more present and you will start to change your days."

Even if you are reading a personal development article for the first time here, you even hear out in your everyday life... "Get off your phone and enjoy the _____."

And surprisingly, the advice we get about "presence" in the real world is much more applicable than the advice we get through these articles.

The articles dive deep into these science terms, that very few of us understand, around why we need to be present and then fail to tell us how to effectively do so.

Well, luckily I took this upon myself to test out ways to do so, effectively and ineffectively, and found some solid ways that we can add easily to our day, without having to carve out any extra time if you don't want to.

Because let's face it, there are a million things we could add to our lives, if we took time out of our day to do all of these habits, we would never get anything done.

It is time to be present in things we are already doing, so we just have to change our ways vs. specifically taking time out of our day.

How does learning to be present in things we already do sound? Pretty good probably...

The Fundamentals of "Being Present"

It's pretty straight forward, if I'm being honest...

Articles go on for days about this topic when in reality it isn't too hard. Here are some guidelines to follow and you will be getting started in no time.

The first thing to focus on is eliminating distractions while you are trying to be present, not just cutting down on them but actually getting rid of everything from your phone to music to your laptop or your homework, whatever is really distracting you from the task you are trying to be present in.

Let me tell you, there are definitely different distrations for different scenarios, like a laptop might not be a distraction if you are trying to be present in work, but music might be.

But, in almost every scenario, your phone becomes a distraction in one way, shape or form. So, just try to keep that in a different room when you are trying to be present.

That leads to the next thing to focus on, your "flow." Your flow state is essentially the state when you are fully engrossed in your work and not jumping between thoughts or ideas on a consistent basis.

There is no way to be present when you are constantly thinking about something else, yes thoughts can be distractions as well, or if you are constantly picking up your phone to check social media.

Eliminate the distractions to focus on being engrossed in one activity and you will be well on your way to becoming present.

Easy Ways to Be More Present in Your Day to Day

Keeping it short and simple to leave you some time to practice.

These aren't going to apply to all of us, because we all have different things we do on a day to day basis, but these are the strategies that I found best helped me become more present in my life on a daily basis:

• If you go to the gym on a daily basis, leave your music and phone in your bag and focus on the reps at hand. This forces you to be present and paying attention to the task at hand when you are lifting or running, not drowning out your thoughts with music or podcasts.
  • The same thing could apply if you take a walk outside every day, leave the phone at home and enjoy the sounds and sights of nature. Even if that walk is just from the car to school or work, stay off the phone for those couple minutes, it can really change your mood.
• I would hope all of us eat a meal at some point during the day. Instead of picking up your phone, watching the news, or going through social media during your breakfast, lunch or dinner, just focus on eating. Focus on the food and how much you are grateful for it, how much you are enjoying it and just be present while eating.
• If you are reading, leave your phone in an other room, or if you are reading on your phone don't switch apps and turn it on airplane mode so you aren't distracted. Go to an environment that is not super crazy so you can focus your sole attention on being present and reading your book.
• Same goes for if you are working, get rid of your phone in your work area, focus on the problem at hand and what you are trying to do and you might amaze yourself on the solutions you craft or how much you get done.
• Have a drive to work? Try taking the drive without music or podcasts and just enjoy your thoughts, enjoy your life and don't buffer out the great ideas you might have with constant music during your life.

Essentially, it comes down to finding time during your day where you can step back, eliminate distractions and just enjoy life more.

Wow, just like that another day on the blog is in the books! Thanks for all the support and if you enjoyed this or learned anything I just ask one thing: bring a friend back tomorrow! Time to make personal development more "normal" because it is at the foundation of every area of our lives. Stop back with a friend tomorrow-- yourmmntm.com/blog

-Taylor

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