Ways to Become More Present in Your Life, Mental Health, Emotional Health Topics, Tips

By Margarita Tartakovsky

How often does someone talk to you, and you realize that you haven’t caught a single word they’ve said? Or you’re taking a walk, and it’s like you’re driving 100 mph with your surroundings a total blur. When was the last time you actually tasted your food? Or felt grateful for your amazing body? Many of us go through our lives on autopilot, miming the motions and zoning out most of the day. But being more present in your day-to-day can make life less stressful and so much more satisfying, vibrant and fascinating. And the best part is that you don’t need to carve out extra time in your day to be more present. Just do what you always do, but do it while actually paying attention. Here are several ideas to get you started!

Margarita Tartakovsky, MS, is an associate editor at Psych Central and authors the body image blog Weightless. She writes about everything from anxiety and ADHD to creativity and couples to mindfulness and stress. You can learn more about her work at her website.

The World as a Miracle

We often forget that the mundane is miraculous. Fortunately, all you have to do to remember is open your eyes, and look around. Start with yourself, and then marvel at all the living and breathing things surrounding you. There’s a beautiful passage from Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh in the book Your True Home, which you just might want to print out and keep re-reading:

“Around us, life bursts forth with miracles -- a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, raindrops. If you live in awareness, it is easy to see miracles everywhere. Each human being is a multiplicity of miracles. Eyes that see thousands of colors, shapes and forms; ears that hear a bee flying or a thunderclap; a brain that ponders a speck of dust as easily as the entire cosmos; a heart that beats in rhythm with the heartbeat of all beings. When we are tired and discouraged by life’s daily struggles, we may not notice these miracles, but they are always there.”

Cultivate Curiosity

One of the reasons we live on autopilot -- and might feel bored -- is because we can execute our routines in our sleep. (For instance, how often do you zone out while driving to work or the grocery store?) In the book Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time, author Rick Hanson, Ph.D, shares a great story about his dad. While taking a pit stop on their road trip, Hanson found his dad examining a random patch of grass. He was mesmerized by the different layers of dirt on the ground, which indicated that there was an array of plants growing there.

Hanson says that his dad has always been curious and doesn’t take “the commonplace for granted” (like many of us!). Curiosity helps you engage with your world, learn new things, and, of course, become more attuned to life in general. In short, it shakes things up. You can even channel your curiosity into problem solving an annoying situation. For instance, Hanson suggests looking deeper into the situation, and wondering what it reminds you of. Then he says to look wider: What are the other elements of the situation, such as someone’s intentions? What might be influencing how you view the situation? Are you exhausted or stressed out or hungry? Finally, he says to look again, and keep unraveling the knots. “Like a child, a cat, a scientist, a saint, or a poet, you see the world anew. Again. And again,” Hanson writes. Being more present every day helps you savor your life and your loved ones. It helps you enjoy yourself and have more fun -- even when you’re doing something so seemingly ordinary.