Many times, when we experience stress it is because we are not fully present in what is happening in the now. Instead, we often think of things that occurred in the past or worry about situations that may arise in the future.
Staying rooted in the present moment is something that takes practice but can be extremely beneficial to our overall health and wellness. When we can engage with the present moment, we become more productive and efficient, we can use our energy wisely, and we have less risk of burnout or overwhelm because we are fully engaged in the task at hand. Living in the present moment offers unique gifts that can easily be missed if our mind is wandering elsewhere.
Some people say that all we ever really have is the here and now. They question the validity of past memories, because we each have a unique interpretation of events that happened in the past, even if these events were shared in relationship between two people.
Therefore, the memories of the past are often subjective, even when the events themselves were objective in the moment they occurred. That said, it is important to notice when we are living in the past or are putting too much influence and thought into past events. Maybe we are pondering the past and wishing it had gone differently.
Maybe we are so completely crushed by grief over a past event that we cannot even imagine getting out of bed today. But the important thing to do is to recognize that today is a new day. While we cannot control the events of the past, or even some of the events that today will bring, we can bring mindful awareness to our current situation and take deliberate actions today to bring happiness, joy, and peacefulness into our minds and into our lives.
Another possibility when we are not living in the present moment is that we may be too focused on the future. When we focus on future events, we are not able to see the reality of the moment we are in, because we are too worried about how things will turn out all the way at the end.
But, as we all know from life experience, the future tends to be very different or at least somewhat different from what we had originally imagined. It is difficult to place this type of pressure on ourselves to perform a certain way in the present only to hope to guarantee a particular outcome in the future.
A million and one things could happen between now and then, and so it is much more effective to focus on the present moment and making the best decisions for yourself and where you are currently at in your life.
When there is too much focus on the past, we can begin to live in regret. When we dwell on the future, we may miss out on special moments that are happening in the now, and we may never get the desired outcome in the future anyways, due to circumstances outside our control. Therefore, the best way to be is to live fully in the present moment and honor yourself and your life where it is now.
When you can have gratitude for who and where you are, you can create in the present and shape your future. Focusing on the present moment is an incredible gift that allows us to receive knowledge and awareness that can expand our mindset and help us grow.
* The truth is the past is filled with regrets that we can do nothing about, so it is useless to engage these thoughts that do nothing but cause us stress.
* And the future? Well, of course we can find a million things to worry about, but what is the point, none of it has happened yet?
Mindfulness of the present moment can assist us in reducing stress and bringing peace of mind.