Focus on the Present / Being in the Now
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, which is why we call it the present.”
Focusing on the present moment (being in the “now”) is a good stress reduction tip, even though it is hugely difficult! We’re nearly always thinking about what happened in the past, and what’s going to happen in the future.
Sometimes we can get caught up regretting or stewing over the past, but what does that really do? Thinking about what we (or someone else) did, what we (or they) didn’t do, how it could have been done differently, asking ourselves why we reacted that way, and so on. None of that is going to bring the past back. However, we can look for the lesson to be learned from the scenario, let the story around the memory go, and move on.
Also, all too often we tend to put off living in the present by worrying about the future, which leads to anxiety plus! Thoughts about what we’re going to do tomorrow/next week, what precautions to take, how to get what we want, etc. Many questions like “what if this happens, what if that happens” consume the mind and turn it into a frenzy of overwhelm. The caution is to not worry about what you can’t control. If you think back on the many times that worry has had the stronghold of your mind – did it really turn out as bad as you imagined?
Being in the now – appreciating and making the most out of the current moment will put you on a more peaceful path.
The power is in the “now”… our current thoughts, feelings and actions are all contributing to our future, so we do need to be mindful of that!
Having the importance placed on the present moment does not mean that we should pick somewhere enjoyable and just stay there – otherwise we would never get anything done!
Sometimes it seems as if we’re being contradictory, and it really is a bit of a juggling act, of sorts. However the point is – it is ok to look to the past for enjoying the nice memories, or learning from something that didn’t turn out so well – just be aware of the objective, so that the moment of reflection has a positive purpose. Likewise, we still need to plan and prepare for the future, and it is ok to dream too (many great inventions have come from “dreams”). To sum it up – making the most out of the present is being aware of that moment’s purpose, while allowing yourself to positively experience and appreciate it as much as possible.