Presence is a buzzword. Presence can feel elusive when we need it most. Presence is a gift. While all these statements may ring true, finding ways to cultivate deeper presence everyday can be challenging. In our busy, plugged in lives, taking this time is essential for our overall well being, mental health and daily fulfillment.
Adding and enhancing your routines for deeper mindfulness can be a powerful way to be more in tune right now. While gaining the full benefits of these practices does take time and commitment, with intention, you can begin to shift your presence today, in real time.
- Stay With Your Breath and Ask Yourself Questions
Begin and end every day with a couple of simple, yet intentional questions that help ground you in the present moment:
AM
-How am I feeling today? (Take inventory of it all and with an intention of non-judgment)
-What am I grateful for today?
-What do I will I do to cope if I feel out of sync (& what’s my plan b if that doesn’t work)?
PM
-How do I feel about my day?
-What am I grateful for that I did today to stay present with each moment?
-What can I do tomorrow to create more ease and mindful awareness? (Take inventory of 10 minute breaks you can take, a walk you can plan, etc.)
- Incorporate a Mindfulness Practice into your Every Day Routine
Don’t have time? Get creative about it and reframe your thinking. Mindfulness can start with tuning into doing one thing at a time in the morning and having an intentional routine to start and end the day. Incorporate a gratitude practice, do a 5 sense meditation (mentally run through 5 things you can see, smell, hear, taste and touch and let any passing thoughts move through without judgment). Mindfulness practice everyday can help us strengthen our focus, intention and ultimately our ability to be present.
- Do One Thing at a Time
Making dinner? Try letting that be the focus. Get the kids, husband, wife, partner, friends or loved ones in the kitchen and let cooking together be the focus. Taking a bath? Turn off your phone for a while and let yourself indulge in the gift of presence. Doing one thing at a time can help keep us grounded in the moment and alleviate space for anxiousness to stir.
- Share Praise Thoughtfully as a Daily Practice
There is always more room in our lives for celebration. Whether it’s acknowledging how awesome your best friends’ work promotion is, or relishing in a loved ones’ strength in saying no in a really tough situation, sharing praise thoughtfully as a daily practice can help us deepen our sense of connection.
- Commit to Breathing Practices Every Day
Make square breathing or mindful deep breaths a part of your daily life. Literally catching our breaths or noticing our breaths can help us immediately recapture the moment. Take slow deep breaths and notice how you’re feeling every morning. Notice if you feel flight, foggy, joyful, irritable—take note of all of it, remembering, as Pema Chodron put it, “You are the sky. Everything else- it’s just the weather.”
Stay well, weird and wonderful and have a wonderful end of summer!
Delia