Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to be present in the moment?

I mean – truly in the moment, with your phone out of reach and out of sight, no to-do lists running through your mind, and no distractions to pull you out of the focus of the moment.

We have all given that faint acknowledgement or “just a sec” signal while we scroll through our phone as someone talks.  You know, the act we have all mastered where you try to appear in the moment with a quick glance up to make eye contact and smile like you are genuinely listening, but in fact you just need another few seconds until you can give your undivided attention.

But I’m thinking of something bigger than the distraction of technology and the time-stealing art of scrolling through Tik-Tok, YouTube or Amazon for the next big laugh or purchase.  What I am talking about is being in the now; being present in your own life.

We live in a time when our brains have never been busier.  With work, parenting, relationships, planning meals, running errands, taking the kids here and there, planning the future, thinking about bills, the stress of a pandemic…. the thinking never stops!  To top it off, we are usually already thinking about the next thing on our list before we have even completed the current task at hand.  Is it any wonder that our brains are exhausted at the end of the day, yet we still can’t seem to turn it off?

We need to make time to stop our brain and just be.  That is – just to be focused and settled in the moment instead of letting our brain rush ahead of us.  This can be a challenging task, and admittedly one that I have not mastered but continue to work on.  Having the ability to stop, get outside of your head, and just notice your surroundings, the people you are with, the sound of your own breathing, the aroma in the air…and not be anywhere else.  This can be unknown territory but it is an important place to be.

Being present in the moment means not worrying about the future or dreading the past.  It means being comfortable and content right now.  It is about being still…being you and just being in this moment in time.

Finding this place takes awareness and practice. It takes the ability to pump the brakes on your brain to stop it from getting away from you, but it can be done. If you can create these little moments in your day, it will feel like a mini brain vacation, you will begin to take notice of things around you, and it may even induce some new creativity. 

So if you are feeling particularly exhausted, take notice of the hamster wheel in your head and slow it down to a stop. Put everything to the side, even if briefly, and take time to play with the kids, read a book, or do whatever feels good for your soul…and just be.