How to Be Here Now - DirectChallenges.com

Learning how to be here now or just in the present is not a difficult task. This is about being aware of your current surroundings, also known as mindfulness. By focusing on what you’re doing, and being present in the moment, you can lead a happier and more fulfilling life. The concept of “being mindful” has gained popularity in recent years.

What is Mindfulness?

Consider for a moment an activity you relish. It could be reading, painting, or playing sports. Picture doing this activity under the watchful eye of someone ensuring you do it right. This might not only cause stress, but chances are you wouldn’t enjoy the activity anymore. Mindfulness mirrors this scenario, as it prompts us to concentrate on our actions, blocking out external distractions.

In case you’re unfamiliar, mindfulness represents a mental state of awareness and attentiveness to the present moment. There are two main perspectives on this state of awareness. One perspective involves the physical world; mindfulness means observing the present moment and how we interact with our environment. The other deals with the “mind” world; it’s about the experience of our mind, and how we perceive ourselves and our thoughts. The objective of being mindful is to acknowledge your thoughts and emotions without judgment or preconception. This practice is often referred to as “unjudging” your thoughts.

Be Here Now

Being present does not equate to staying in one place for an extended period. Instead, it’s about maintaining an awareness of current happenings. We should strive to stay conscious of our thoughts and feelings without letting them govern us or become too intertwined. This technique can alleviate many issues, including anxiety, depression, chronic pain, addiction, weight problems, and more. The benefits multiply when one starts practicing mindfulness techniques.

Adopting a mindful approach to your life is one of the most beneficial things you can do. Although mindfulness is a form of meditation, there’s no need to go on a silent retreat or sit quietly on the floor.

Still Your Mind

Heighten your senses by savoring the smell, taste, and texture of the foods you enjoy, rather than eating out of necessity. You are already practicing mindfulness when you prepare your meals, focusing on taste, seasoning, texture, and temperature. Continue this level of focus as you carry your plate to the table and the fork to your mouth.

Thoughts are Just Thoughts

Thoughts are fleeting and impermanent, and not worth getting too entangled in. Nonetheless, observing your thoughts without judging them can be challenging. We generate negative emotions like anger, sadness, and fear when we start judging our thoughts and comparing them to others’ words and actions. We might even begin to judge ourselves for having these unpleasant thoughts. But guess what? It’s entirely normal to have these types of thoughts because everyone does – even the most enlightened masters on the planet! Here are some strategies to help you filter out the noise and maintain a still mind.

Breathing:

Your breath is the most ever-present aspect of your life. A ten-minute break during your day is an excellent time to focus on your breathing.

Eating:

As mentioned earlier, savor the taste and texture of the foods you enjoy, appreciating the aroma instead of eating because it’s time to eat. Remember, you are already being mindful when preparing your meals—carry the same level of focus from the kitchen to the dining table.

Interactions:

Daily interactions with family, friends, significant others, co-workers, and bosses can often be exhausting. We encounter numerous opinions from various relationships – whether in person or via phone call or email message – making it challenging not to feel defensive when reacting based on personal beliefs. Conflicts reign supreme! The old cliché “take a step back” doesn’t cut it. Mindful interaction means being nonjudgmental about whatever thoughts and feelings arise during the interaction.

What does that mean?

This refers to being aware of your thoughts and emotions and refraining from judging yourself and others. It doesn’t mean eliminating these thoughts and emotions. It encourages us to truly listen to others, without preoccupying ourselves with who is right or wrong, or striving to have the last word. Learn to engage without interjecting your agreements and disagreements. Recognize thoughts as just thoughts, and understand that you don’t have to act or believe in them, just be aware of them.

Discernment is an integral part of non-judging. Discernment is the process that enables us to distinguish reality from opinions, assumptions, and preferences. When we perceive things as they genuinely are, we acquire all the necessary information to respond appropriately.

Walking:

Mindful walking is about being in the present moment. It’s about releasing thoughts that are unrelated to your current action.

Though it might sound challenging, anyone can learn this skill with a bit of practice.

The first step to mindful walking involves being fully aware of your surroundings. Observe changes in color, the feel of the air, or the sounds around you.

Subsequently, pay attention to your steps, ensuring they are purposeful and intentional. Focusing on your walk can help alleviate tension from your body and mind.

As with any new experience, start slowly and increase your pace as you gain more confidence. Many people might assume you need to be outside to practice mindful walking. That’s not the case. You can walk mindfully anywhere with only ten to twenty steps. Incorporating mindful walking into everyday life offers numerous opportunities – at your job, to and from your car, and many more!

Body Scanning:

Body scanning essentially involves focusing on one body part at a time, from your head down to your toes. This practice enhances your awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations in different body parts. The keyword here is “aware”. You might find some of your thoughts and feelings about certain body parts uncomfortable, but this is perfectly fine if you apply non-judging in this mindful meditation.

To practice mindful meditation using body scanning, follow these steps:

Find a quiet space where you can be undisturbed, and sit comfortably for 5-10 minutes. If you wish, put on headphones and listen to soft music to block out any distracting noise.
Close your eyes and take deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. If this doesn’t work well for you, try looking up at the ceiling or focusing on a stationary object in front of you.
Start by focusing on your toes and feet and notice their sensations: Is there pressure? Warmth? What do they look like? How heavy does each foot feel? This might lead you to notice things you haven’t before!
Continue this process with each part of your body, moving up to the top of your head. Acknowledge how each part feels without judgment and keep practicing until the allotted time passes.

Why Practice Mindfulness Now?

Why not begin practicing mindfulness now? If you’ve ever tried to be mindful, you probably began the day with good intentions, but by evening forgot about being mindful. Don’t worry, becoming mindful requires effort. The benefits of practicing mindfulness extend beyond starting your day with good intentions. Here are just a few reasons to start now:

Healthy Relationships

One of the most potent benefits of practicing mindfulness is how it influences your relationships. Don’t be limited by the term “relationship”. It includes your personal ones, coworkers, bosses, clients, virtually everyone you communicate with throughout the day. They are all relationships, varying in degrees. As you practice mindfulness, you’ll notice your reactions to certain stimuli in your day.

Learn to Be Still

Learning to relax both your mind and body is a crucial part of practicing mindfulness. The objective is to release anxiety or panic and be in the present moment. Different people find various methods to calm themselves, like listening to music, taking a bath with lavender essential oil, or repeating meaningful mantras such as “I am not my thoughts.”

The term stillness characterizes this mental state. It’s not about physical stillness, but rather a state of mind. It encompasses mindfulness of all sensations that originate from within oneself. Existing in such a state can be profoundly soothing for many people who are perpetually overthinking or dwelling on past experiences and problems.

Be Open

Maintain an open mind and learn to listen to your inner self. You can utilize your senses when practicing mindfulness. Attempt focusing on your breathing, listening to music, or simply observing your breath as it enters and leaves.

Learn to Let Go

Develop the practice of acceptance, tolerance, and forgiveness towards people and circumstances that are not beneficial to you. Acceptance, tolerance, and forgiveness of people and things that aren’t serving you means not letting those people or situations occupy your thoughts. It involves detaching from some system to prevent it from affecting you. This process may include changing your attitudes about life’s circumstances, like accepting oneself when something goes wrong despite attempts at self-improvement; accepting other people who are different; and letting go of anger towards others, even if they’ve said or done something hurtful. Forgiveness will likely make both parties feel emotionally better.

Be Intentional About How You Are Living Your Life

Being intentional is an excellent way to be mindful. If you are deliberate in your choices and actions, you are more likely to make positive decisions and lead a happier, more fulfilling life. Intentionality will help you become happier due to the transformations that come from being more mindful of your surroundings. It also enables us to be more proactive in our personal development; we are less likely to become complacent if we understand how things could go wrong for us or others by not making an effort.

Allow Yourself to Feel—Resistance is Futile

Being mindful of your thoughts and acknowledging them without judgment is one thing. When it comes to emotions, it’s crucial to allow yourself to experience them fully. You’re going to feel them anyway. In everyday life, we experience bits and pieces of many emotions, some pleasant, some not. However, life-altering events like the death of a loved one, a failed relationship, or financial worries bring about devastating feelings that just don’t go away easily. Here is one simple truth:

The degree to which we resist what we don’t want to feel is the degree to which we feel what we don’t want to feel.

You might come across advice suggesting that you can choose what to feel and force yourself not to accept certain emotions. How effective that strategy is remains debatable.

The only way to be mindful of those intense, life-changing event feelings is to acknowledge them and give them room to exist. As the saying goes, “Resistance is futile.”