06 May 2025

It is often said that a person will think a lot about their past and worry more about their future than the present, which is where one is living at this very moment in time. That makes it hard to enjoy life in the present moment – especially when one is not focused on that moment in which they are living nor are they being present in that very moment in time with those around them. Learning to be mindful and living in the moment will help one to appreciate life more, and reduce those feelings of anxiety, stress and depression. When it comes to stress, the very thoughts that are created are often the power of the mind’s creative forces at work and the events will not in effect happen or will happen the way it is believed it will when the time comes.

In order to help you become more aware of your surroundings, be present in the moment, and reduce your levels of anxiety, stress and overwhelm – here are five steps that you can implement today to help you stay on track and on the right footing so that life remains more balanced overall.

Practice Mindfulness and Live in the Moment Using These Five Techniques

1. Take note of your current surroundings.

The first step in living in the moment is to notice your surroundings. You may not often take the time to look around and see what goes on around you. Sit down and take a deep breath. Then look at everything around you.

• If you are indoors, what do the walls look like?

• What patterns do you see in the ceiling and floor?

• How many windows are in the room?

• How many ceiling lights or other lights can you see from your position?

• Are there any artwork or pictures on the surrounding walls?

When you stop and look more closely at your surroundings, and take in all that is around you, then you are more equipped to live in the moment.

2. Begin to use self-care activities.

Another thing to put you in the present moment is doing activities that bring you joy and bring forth positive emotions. You might engage in a hobby you like, walk in nature, or spend time with family or friends. These activities all may make you feel happiness and a focus on the present moment.

You need also to be mindful of your typical daily routine. Make some time for self-care activities, like eating healthy meals or doing breathing exercises. If you haven’t created a monthly plan of doing things out of your normal routine or schedule, then make some plans with your friends or others. This will create some outside interests and experiences that you can enjoy and build on over time.

3. Try to detach yourself from your phone whenever possible.

In this age of smartphones, it seems that we live in fear of having idle time. You may grab your phone while waiting for a friend to arrive for lunch, or while you wait at a doctor’s office.

Break that habit. Allow yourself to just sit and look around you, instead of checking in on social media. Sitting and meditating or doing some breathwork while sitting is a great way to detach from your phone while waiting. You can start this new habit when you wake up in the morning. After you get out of bed, don’t go for your phone immediately. Enjoy a few moments of peace and quiet and have a cup of tea or coffee. Or you can spend time in the morning with your family before the computer work starts and the phone calls start coming in for the workday.

4. Use simple breathing exercises.

Mindful breathing may sound simple, but it’s a powerful tool to use when you manage your emotions, learn to live in the moment and improve your mental wellness.

Breathwork has the ability to teach you how to pay closer attention to the sensations your body experiences daily. It usually has you focus on inhaling and exhaling, along with the sound that your breath makes on exhaling and on the ways in which your body responds to breathing in and out using different breathing techniques.

5. Let go of your worry.

It’s easy to say, “don’t worry,” but much harder to accomplish. Worrying today is not going to change what you encounter tomorrow. Each second spent worrying about your future is one second you have wasted in the present. Worrying removes you from living in the present and leaves you thinking about all the possibilities in your future (that in many ways may not even happen as you think they will). In that state of mind, you cannot live in the moment.

If you have circumstances that trouble you, focus on the ways you might solve existing problems now. Improve the moment you’re in. When you spend time focusing on what could happen in the future, it robs you of the experience of what is occurring now. Each moment in your present life moves very quickly – you don’t want to miss it.

Conclusion

When you practice mindfulness to help you live in the moment, it can enhance your daily life. It promotes other positive emotions like contentment, happiness and gratitude. You can cultivate this skill if you are dedicated, and practice mindfulness consistently.

Using the techniques in this article, you can begin to live in the moment instead of worrying about the future. Live fully today and let the future take care of itself tomorrow. You are here only once – so live life fully every moment.

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