Living in the Moment
By Lauryn Gladd
As I sit in the corner of Greenberry’s, a local coffee shop, I watch the Friday morning bustle of everyday people filing inside, away from the cold, eager for the first sip of their daily caffeine kick. Some people, like me, sit alone, calmly typing away on their laptops amidst the chaos. Others chat enthusiastically with each other, mostly colleagues talking business or friends catching up. Sweet smells of baked goods waft over me, and the cappuccino I’m drinking warms my throat with every sip.
No matter how routine or uneventful, even something as simple as a Friday morning in a small coffee shop should be recognized for what it is: the present moment. Somehow, someway, everything in my past has led me to this moment: the day I decided to go to college in Charlottesville, the afternoon during finals week when I stumbled upon this spot on Barracks Road for a change of scenery, this morning when I woke up craving a cappuccino, just to name a few. Right now, as I sit in the comfy, cushioned chair in the corner, I simply exist as life carries on around me.
Often the present moment is lost in the race to the future. I’m not always this observant on my coffee runs; other days I walk in-and-out, coffee in hand, mind occupied with the next task for the day. While it would be impractical to always “live in the moment,” it is beneficial to our overall health to occasionally have this greater sense of awareness of the fleeting present. Otherwise, we’d be stuck in a cycle of chasing the future- an impossible task considering the linearity of time. So, where are you right now, reading this? What can you embrace about the present?
Health Benefits of Present-Moment Awareness
Present-moment awareness involves “monitoring and attending to current experience rather than predicting future events or dwelling on the past” (Bullock, 2021). This type of awareness has a multitude of health benefits. Mindfulness practices, including acting with awareness, are associated with reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms (Parmentier et al., 2019). In addition, living in the moment can help strengthen your relationships (Raypole, 2020).
One study that researched 143 adults over the span of 20 days found that present-moment awareness facilitated adaptive stress-responses during daily stressful events (Donald et al., 2016). Daily stressful events could include situations like being stuck in traffic, losing keys, or disagreements with others. Present-moment awareness is likely to make people more aware of the options and solutions available to them during a time of stress. The study found that “higher average present-moment awareness during daily stressful experiences was associated with more values-consistent responding and greater self-efficacy in relation to such experiences” (Donald et al., 2016). This means that living in the moment is associated with an increased ability for your physical actions to be in accordance with your inner intentions, meaning your behavior matches your values, illustrating that you are capable of managing stress effectively.
How to Be More Present:
1. Be Observant.
What better way to live in the present moment than to take an inventory of your surroundings? Pay close attention to all five senses: what do you see, hear, taste, smell, and touch? You might be surprised by what you notice. I’ve often found this to be entertaining when I’m in public; people-watching is a great way to focus your attention on the present (but just don’t be creepy about it). Or, you could also try closing your eyes and using your other senses to pick up on stimuli you might otherwise overlook. This increased observation can be utilized in any situation; personally, during meals, I do this by savoring the first bite of food.
2. Practice Gratitude.
The next time you’re with family or friends, take a moment to look around and truly recognize their presence. It’s easy to take regular moments like this for granted, so it can feel good to acknowledge what you’re currently grateful for. Let's face it: sometimes the present moment is not all that great, especially those long hours spent in the library studying for finals. However, to an extent, some aspects of the present moment should be appreciated for what they are. The other day, I had to walk in the rain to a history discussion. Not an ideal situation, but I could muster a sense of gratitude for my education and the academic grind- a phase of life like no other. As a non-history major, when else in my life could I say I walked a mile in the rain to participate in a discussion surrounding the digital evolution in America? Of course, however, gratitude is certainly easier to practice in the better moments! By embracing these times, you’re able to pay more attention to the present. To learn about the health benefits of gratitude, check out my article on gratitude journaling.
3. Use Mindfulness Practices.
Techniques such as meditation, focused breathing, and being in nature can help you relax as you engage with the world around you (Mayoclinic, 2020). Besides increasing your present awareness, these practices have a variety of other health benefits as well. Meditation has been shown to decrease stress, anxiety, pain, depression, insomnia, and high blood pressure (Mayoclinic, 2020). Do you want to try meditation but you aren’t sure where to start? Check out Sophia Erickson’s Meditation Guide for Beginners.
4. Limit Distractions and Practice Active Listening.
Nowadays, it’s so easy to be sucked into checking your phone constantly. When’s the last time you had an uninterrupted lunch from technology with family or friends? Every message or notification that pops up on the screen takes your attention away from your present surroundings and into your awaiting device. No one wants to feel like they have to fight for your attention. One strategy for becoming more present is to limit potential distractions and break up with your phone. Try having a “no phones” dinner date or consider doing activities that require one’s full attention, like cooking or a fun game night. When you are with others, practice active listening to create more present and meaningful interactions. This includes making eye contact, asking questions, and validating the other person’s experience (Raypole, 2020). This will show you care, strengthen your relationships, and keep you focused on the present.
5. Slow Down.
With our crazy busy schedules, it might seem ambitious or even unreasonable to slow down. However, it may be easier than you think to briefly pause in between activities to ground yourself and appreciate the present. Think of it more as a “minibreak” where “once you finish a task, take a minute or two to rest instead of rushing immediately to the next item on your list” (Raypole, 2020). Who knows? Maybe you’ll crush that next task now that you’re connected with the present moment.
Reference List
Bullock, G. B. (2021, October 25). Present-moment awareness buffers the effects of daily stress. Mindful. Retrieved January 21, 2022, from https://www.mindful.org/present-moment-awareness-buffers-effects-daily-stress/#:~:text=Present%2Dmoment%20awareness%20involves%20monitoring,or%20dwelling%20on%20the%20past.
Donald, J. N., Atkins, P. W. B., Parker, P. D., Christie, A. M., & Ryan, R. M. (2016, September 4). Daily stress and the benefits of mindfulness: Examining the daily and longitudinal relations between present-moment awareness and stress responses. Journal of Research in Personality. Retrieved January 21, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0092656616301118?via%3Dihub
Mayo Clinic. (2020, September 15). Can mindfulness exercises help me? Mayo Clinic. Retrieved January 24, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356
Parmentier, F. B. R., García-Toro, M., García-Campayo, J., Yañez, A. M., Andrés, P., & Gili, M. (2019, March 8). Mindfulness and symptoms of depression and anxiety in the general population: The mediating roles of worry, rumination, reappraisal and suppression. Frontiers in psychology. Retrieved January 24, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6418017/
Raypole, C. (2020, April 6). How to be present at work, in relationships, and more. Healthline. Retrieved January 24, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/being-present