Staying present in the current moment. It sounds easy, maybe even trivial, until life takes us for a ride and our thoughts swirl around in our heads. Slowly, we may lose touch with what we’re feeling emotionally and physically as we become overwhelmed by so many thoughts. This is where mindfulness comes into play. By definition, mindfulness is exactly how it sounds – being aware of the present moment. This means we are aware of what we’re feeling, what we’re doing, and where we are. However, how many of us find ourselves thinking about what we need to do, about tomorrow, about yesterday, about are burdens and stresses in life? How many moments are we missing by spending time thinking about the future or the past?
Mindfulness is an ability we all possess. We all are able to be in the here and now. It’s an ability that we’re able to cultivate and use to improve our mental health. By practicing mindfulness, we are always able to bring ourselves back to the now making it a powerful stress-relief tool. When you feel your thoughts are spiraling out of control, coming back to the present can help calm you down and feel less overwhelmed.
Today has been a day of ups and downs for me. My mind is feeling cluttered with all the thoughts that are fighting for my attention. However, once I took a short break where I focused only at the present moment, I began to feel more in control and more relaxed. I was able to get in tune with my body and my mind. I have no doubt that later today the same thoughts that were in my head earlier will return and I plan on using mindfulness again to take a break from them. By doing this often I find that mindfulness becomes second nature.
So today, I encourage you to be more mindful. Even take a couple minutes out of your day to sit there and enjoy the present moment. Anxious thoughts are always ready to go so take a break from them by practicing mindfulness.