How to Be in the moment?
Being more in the here and now, it sounds so beautiful. But how do you do that? In the daily hustle and bustle, it often falls short.
Especially in busy times, you can live on autopilot without noticing. You start the day by going through your to-do list while you are in the shower, calling a colleague on your bike to work, or thinking about what you will cook that evening during a walk in the woods. You barely feel the warm water in the shower — and your attention is everywhere, except what you do, see or eat right now. This is a shame because that automatic pilot means that you don’t even notice how beautiful the sun shines through the trees or how delicious your cottage cheese with muesli and fresh raspberries tastes.
And it is precisely those moments that bring happiness that can counterbalance stress and discomfort. By training your attention to always return to the here and now, you can occasionally step out of autopilot and notice those moments of happiness. Being in less of a hurry can also help enormously with this.
Surrender
Surrendering to the moment means being true to yourself: doing what feels good to you, what is valuable to you. Have the courage to say ‘no’ to what’s blocking you and ‘yes’ to what gives you joy.
Taste. feel. Hear. See. Smell.
Put your phone away. Turn off the TV. Look around you. Hear sounds, see colors, feel the peace, or the restlessness. The easiest way to appreciate is to stimulate your senses, it enables you to fully enjoy what is there now.
Live your own life, not someone else’s
Whole days are swallowed up because we want to live up to the expectations of others. Your own dreams get no attention because of this. Regularly ask yourself: am I living my own life or am I working on someone else’s dream?
Follow what gives you joy
Follow what gives you energy. Things that pique your curiosity and give you joy are good indicators. You can always choose your own happiness. Also, dare to say ‘no’ to things that drain your energy.
Forget the time
When we forget the time, we are completely in the moment. You are completely in the flow and you are not concerned with ‘before’ or ‘after’. You are fully present in that one moment, and at that moment you lay the foundation for the deepest relationship with yourself and the other.
Dream big, but take the first step today
Dreaming is nice. But if you just keep dreaming, nothing will happen. What do you need to get closer to the dream of tomorrow today? Who can you speak to? What step can you already take?
Dare to make decisions from your heart
Decisions from your heart are often illogical, at the moment, and not waiting for the perfect circumstances. But it is precisely those decisions, in which you are not concerned with the past or future, that bring color to the moment and in that way also to your future.
Forgive!
To forgive is to give up hope that things could have been “different”. It just went the way it did. Accept that, and forgive yourself. This is how you bring your attention back to today. Don’t dwell too long on the past, it will take the pleasure of the now hostage.
