How to be Present & Enjoy the Moment

We all have the tendency to look forward to the future and get excited for things to come. However, one of the downsides to this is that it takes away from our present; our now. I've found myself and others to always be wishing for things that are a few days, weeks or months down the road. I've learned that this distracts a great deal from what you're doing at that very moment.

Instead of being grateful for what you're experiencing right now, you're harping for things that haven't even happened yet. This seems pretty counterproductive and will inevitably cause you to miss out.

It can be really difficult to perfect that art of remaining present, simply because we all are in the habit of being excited for what's yet to come. So what can you do to help shake this habit?

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1. Mindfulness

Being mindful is definitely a skill that takes a lot of practice, but with this practice can come some awesome results. The whole goal behind the idea of being mindful is work on being able to be present. Mindfulness entails being able to remain focused on the moment instead of on what may happen later down the road.

One of the best ways to practice being mindful is to acknowledge those moments when you find yourself thinking too far ahead. Make a mental note of times where you should be focused on what you're currently experiencing, but instead find that it is elsewhere. If you can actively acknowledge yourself doing this, the more likely you are to be able to make yourself stop and refocus.

2. Yoga

Yoga is an excellent way to practice the idea of clearing your mind and being present. Whether you take classes or just do it at home, the results are the same. Yoga can help teach patience and allow you to clear your head.

When you can clear your head of distracting thoughts and ideas, you'll find you're much better at remaining present during your everyday life. If you feel distracted or not fully present, you can apply the techniques from yoga to clear your thoughts, take some deep breaths and restart

3. Use Social Media Sparingly

Social media is definitely one the biggest distractions in our lives. When you look around in a public place, you can almost always see people glued to their phones. Being on your phone when you're out is one of the most unproductive things you can do. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook etc. are things that don't matter when you're with people. Try making it a habit to only check those things when you're alone.

When you're out socializing, spend that time actually, physically socializing. You won't get to know your friends better, have meaningful conversations or generally enjoy another person's company if you're constantly hitting a 'refresh' button. Try to keep in mind that that digital world on your phone is not real life, and by being sucked into technology, you're allowing yourself to miss out on moments happening in real time.

It helps to schedule time to use your phone, or again, just to make a mental note to use your phone or applications when you're alone.

4. Observe

Try being more observant. If you start paying more attention to what's going on around you, you'll be so focused on the now that you won't even be concentrating on anything else. Being observant can be interpreted in many ways; maybe you focus on what the people around you look like, are wearing, what sounds are going on as you walk and so on. If you're focusing on all the things affecting the current moment, your mind will be concentrated on the present.

5. Schedule Time To Daydream

It may be helpful to actually carve out time in your day to think about the future. By doing this, you can focus all day on the present and come home and allow yourself a set period of time to think about what you're excited for. Don't let yourself miss out on the current reality by always wishing to be somewhere else or for time to speed up.

Like anything else, developing the ability to be mindful and re-focused, takes time. It's a skill that we have to practice, and the more you practice the more you'll find you're enjoying the moments as they come.