How to ''be present'' 🧘

If I had to guess which piece of advice absolutely everyone agreed on, I’d put all my money on the same old “be present” advice.

And we’d all agree that, indeed, we ought to be more present. Am I right? ✨

Two questions for you:

1. What does that even mean?

2. How do you do that?

And if you’re unsure of the answers, let me share my two cents on this with you all.

Being present means being fully in the here and now, both physically and mentally. Just because you’re physically somewhere, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re mentally there as well._{Just think of all the times you got caught up in your own thoughts while someone was telling you a story - and you drifted away in your thoughts at some point.}

Being present means dialing down your internal monologue, and dialing up whatever it is that surrounds you. 💆🏻‍♀️

It means really turning your senses and your attention to what’s happening in front of you - whether you’re admiring someone’s garden, talking to a friend, or brushing your teeth. 🦷

Sounds great, right? But how do you do that? 🤔

Here are some simple mental notes you can turn to when your attention is not attentioning:

1. Check your senses

Answer these questions:

👂 What can you hear right now? (traffic, crowd noises, the dishwasher…?)

👀 What can you see right now? (notice colors, shapes, shades, light…)

👃🏻 What can you smell right now? (notice perfumes, food smells…)

🖐 What can you feel right now? (check your touch sense - how do your clothes feel on your body? Do you feel any other texture?)

🧍 What do you feel in your body? (are you sitting/ standng/ walking, do you feel any pain, are you comfortable, how is your posture…)

2. Focus on your breath

Take a deep breath in for four seconds. Hold it for eight seconds. Now, let it out for four seconds. (4-8-4 count) Repeat as many times as you’d like. Breathwork is one of the simplest ways to ground yourself in the now. It brings you back to your body and out of your racing thoughts.

3. Pick ONE task

Choose one activity to devote your attention to. Multitasking is an illusion. We can’t multitask as humans. We can only quickly switch from one task to another. Do that often and watch your attention scramble. 🥴 

Whether you’re eating, walking, or working, try doing just that one thing. Notice how much more enjoyable and immersive the experience becomes.

Devoting your undivided attention to just one task at a time pays off both qualitatively and quantitatively. 🧾

And once you finish a task, take 1 minute or 2 to rest instead of rushing immediately to the next item on your list.

4. Listen actively

When someone’s talking to you, really listen. Not only to respond, but to hear them. Notice the tone of their voice, the emotions behind their words. It’s one of the purest forms of presence and connection. 🤝

That’s all I have for you this week <3

With love,

Your Glowing Bestie ❤️