Have you ever had one of those days where you’re just going through the motions like you’re on autopilot? Instead of living your day with intention and mindfulness, your mind is constantly racing toward the future or replaying the past, never fully paying attention to what’s going on around you.
It’s not just you, we all do it.
Harvard University published a study showing that people spend 47% of their day thinking about something other than what they’re currently doing. That’s almost half of your day spent living inside your head instead of being present in the moment.
How much of life is passing you by because you’re not fully present? All those irreplaceable moments with your friends and family are happening around you, but you’re not experiencing them deeply enough to register them as memories you can cherish in the future.
Learning to live in the present instead of getting caught up in a cycle of “what’s next?” or “what was?” allows you to tap into the wellspring of joy happening around you right now.
Here are seven ways you can start practicing mindfulness in your day…
1. Morning Mindfulness: Set aside the first few minutes of your day to meditate. If your mind wanders, try to bring your attention back to the present moment by focusing on your breath. Starting your day with a short meditation can set a calm and focused tone for your day ahead.
2. Mindful Transitions: Use transitional times in your day, like your commute to work or switching between tasks, to practice mindfulness. Instead of playing on your phone, checking your emails, or letting your mind fleet, focus on the present moment. Notice your surroundings, how your body feels, and how your chest moves as you take a few deep breaths.
3. Squash Social Media: Social media is a massive distraction, pulling you away from the present moment. Research shows the average person spends over two hours per day on social media. This not only increases stress but also shortens your attention span and zaps your emotional energy. See if you can go a whole day without social media. Notice how your mood improves. You might find you prefer real life to scrolling through your friend’s endless vacation pics or obsessing over how many likes your last post got.
4. Intentional Focus: Focus on just one task instead of trying to juggle multiple projects at once. Studies find that multitasking reduces productivity by up to 40% while also increasing your stress levels. By being fully present and dedicating your attention to just one task, you’ll probably find it more enjoyable, less stressful, and you’ll be able to accomplish more.
5. Taste the Moment: Turn each meal into a delicious mindfulness practice by eating slowly and paying full attention to your food. Savor the flavors, textures, temperatures, and aromas. Eating mindfully can increase your appreciation for food while also helping you connect with your body’s hunger and fullness cues.
6. Joy Journaling: Instead of a traditional gratitude journal, start a Joy Journal. At the end of each day, jot down the specific moments of joy you experienced. These could be as simple as a compliment from a coworker or the feel of the breeze through your hair on a sunny morning. If time allows, try snapping a picture of the little things that make you feel joy. Keep them in a folder on your phone so you can look back on them to relive those happy moments.
7. Try 5-4-3-2-1: When you find your mind drifting, ground yourself with the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. Make a mental note of five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. This exercise anchors you and makes you more aware of the world around you.
Action Step
This week choose one of these mindfulness techniques to integrate into your life. Whether it’s starting your day with a few peaceful minutes that you keep for yourself or starting a journal to track the small things that bring you joy, notice how making a conscious effort to live more in the moment improves your mood.
You could even start a Joy Jar. Instead of writing down your joyous moments in a journal, write your moments on a slip of paper, fold them up, and collect them in a jar. On a day when you need a mental pick-me-up, pull a memory at random to relive the positive emotions that moment brought you.
Finding joy in the present moment is about shifting your focus and seeing the world with fresh eyes, not being trapped inside your mind. Being more present will help you appreciate the small, amazing things in your life that often get overlooked.
As you go through your action step for the week, remember that being fully present can take practice, as it’s not something that comes naturally to most of us. It’s human to always be thinking of what’s next or what hasn’t been crossed off your task list, but the more you pay attention to how often you’re not living in the moment, the easier it will be to bring yourself back to your current reality.
