How to Live in the Moment

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsNotice Your SurroundingsDon’t MultitaskShow GratitudeBe AcceptingPractice Mindfulness MeditationFind Social SupportBe MindfulPractice Deep BreathingLimit Social Media and TechExerciseFrequently Asked Questions

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Notice Your Surroundings

Don’t Multitask

Show Gratitude

Be Accepting

Practice Mindfulness Meditation

Find Social Support

Be Mindful

Practice Deep Breathing

Limit Social Media and Tech

Exercise

Frequently Asked Questions

Close

Many people want to learn more about how to live in the moment. Most of us have a tendency tolive in the pastor the future. How often do you find yourself thinking about what happened yesterday, orwhat might happen tomorrow? How does this affect your life and well-being?

Constantly thinking about the past and worrying about the future can make it difficult to enjoy the good things in your life now. Learning how to be more mindful and live in the moment can give you a greater appreciation for your life, also reducing feelings of stress, depression, and anxiety.Here are a few ways to live in the moment more frequently.

Take this opportunity right now. Close both eyes and take a deep breath, then open them and really take in where you are.

When you stop to look at your surroundings and take in everything around you, it’s easier to be more present in the moment.

Focus on One Thing at a Time

When learning how to live in the moment, it is helpful to focus your attention on one thing at a time. While it may feel more productive to multitask and work on more than one thing at a time,constantly juggling multiple tasksmakes it hard to live in the present.

Although doing something that requires your full attention can seem overwhelming at first, be aware of how much more productive you are when fully engaged in a task. Compare this with trying to squeeze multiple things into one period of time or spending half of your energy on three different projects.

If you’re working on something,give it all of your attention. When you find yourself thinking about other things or checking your phone because you don’t feel like doing the task at hand, stop and turn the focus back to what’s in front of you.

Research shows that when you are fully focused on what’s happening at that moment, you can better remember details in the long term anyway.

Be Grateful For What You Have Now

Part of living in the moment is taking the time to be grateful for what you have now (not in the past or the future).If you are constantly focused on things you don’t have, you aren’t taking the time to appreciate what you have at this moment.

One way topractice gratitudeis to write a list of things you are grateful for and review that list on a daily basis. Try to write at least three things you are grateful for in your life right now. Alternatively, you can do a gratitude rampage, where you write out as many things as you can think of in a certain time period.

Press Play for Advice On Practicing Gratitude

Show Acceptance

If you want to learn how to be more present, let go of how you think things should be and accept them for what they are. Focus on accepting things as they are and not on how you want them to be.

You cannot control everything that happens around you; sometimes life is going to be different than how you want it to be.Practicing acceptancewill help you let go of the things in your life that are out of your control.

Starting a daily meditation practice can help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings. This can, in turn, increase the amount of time you spend in the present moment.

Mindful MomentNeed a breather? Take this free9-minute meditation focused on being present—or choose from ourguided meditation libraryto find another one that will help you feel your best.

Mindful Moment

Need a breather? Take this free9-minute meditation focused on being present—or choose from ourguided meditation libraryto find another one that will help you feel your best.

Find Positive Social Support

Thekind of social support you have in your lifecan also play an important role in helping you learn how to live in the moment. When you are around people who are supportive and positive, it is much easier to be more present in your life.

Spending time with people who make you feel happy and fulfilled can be a great way to help yourself live in the present moment.

Surrounding yourself with positive, supportive people increases your own positivity and happiness levels. This will allow you to focus on what is going well right now instead of dwelling on past or future events.

How Social Support Contributes to Psychological Health

Be Mindful of Everything You Do

Instead, try to focus on each meal while you eat:

Focusing on these details and being mindful of everything going on around you during a specific task or activity will help bring more present-moment awareness into your life.

Practice Deep Breathing Exercises

Deep breathingcan be a useful technique when you are trying to learn how to live in the moment. Taking the time to sit down and practice a deep breathing exercise will help you focus your mind on the task at hand.

Taking slow, regulated breaths helps prevent feelings of panic or any other negative thoughts from taking over while allowing for more control during the activity in which you are currently engaged. One quick and easy method to try is the4-7-8 breathing technique.

Take a Break From Social Media and Technology

Taking a break from social media and other technologycan also help you stay more present-focused. While you might think that constantly checking your social media accounts is helping you stay connected to the world, it is actually having a negative effect on your ability to be present.

How many times have you been doing something else and found yourself checking social media? It’s important that you learn how to avoid letting technology take over your life as this can really prevent you from being mindful of what is going on around you.

Get Regular Exercise or Do Some Yoga

Regular exerciseor even just taking a stroll through the park can help you be more present. Including yoga as part of your daily routine is another great way to live in the moment, especially if it’s coupled with meditation and mindfulness exercises.

If you can’t make time for a full yoga class, just stopping what you are doing to take a couple of minutes for some basic poses can help you get back into the moment.

Takeaways

If you want to learn how to live in the moment, take the time to appreciate where you are, what you’re doing, and who is with you. Instead of becoming caught up in the past or worrying about what will happen in the future, try to savor each moment as it passes.

If you need help with this process,talking to a therapistcan be very helpful. They can give you tools and techniques that may make living in the moment easier for you.

Frequently Asked QuestionsConstant distractions combined with feelings of anxiety and stress can make it difficult to focus on the present moment. It is easy to get caught up in thinking about the past or worrying about things that haven’t happened yet.Three strategies that can help you be more present in your life include practicing mindfulness, showing gratitude, and only focusing on one thing at a time.Learn More:How to Become More Mindful in Your Everyday LifeWork on focusing your thoughts and attention on the other person. When you find your mind wandering to other thoughts, gently redirect your focus back to the present. Utilize active listening when you are talking to the other person and be curious about the things they have to say. Ask open-ended questions and reflect back on what the other person has shared.Learn More:Active Listening Techniques

Constant distractions combined with feelings of anxiety and stress can make it difficult to focus on the present moment. It is easy to get caught up in thinking about the past or worrying about things that haven’t happened yet.

Three strategies that can help you be more present in your life include practicing mindfulness, showing gratitude, and only focusing on one thing at a time.Learn More:How to Become More Mindful in Your Everyday Life

Three strategies that can help you be more present in your life include practicing mindfulness, showing gratitude, and only focusing on one thing at a time.

Learn More:How to Become More Mindful in Your Everyday Life

Work on focusing your thoughts and attention on the other person. When you find your mind wandering to other thoughts, gently redirect your focus back to the present. Utilize active listening when you are talking to the other person and be curious about the things they have to say. Ask open-ended questions and reflect back on what the other person has shared.Learn More:Active Listening Techniques

Work on focusing your thoughts and attention on the other person. When you find your mind wandering to other thoughts, gently redirect your focus back to the present. Utilize active listening when you are talking to the other person and be curious about the things they have to say. Ask open-ended questions and reflect back on what the other person has shared.

Learn More:Active Listening Techniques

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Strohmaier S, Jones FW, Cane JE.Effects of length of mindfulness practice on mindfulness, depression, anxiety, and stress: a randomized controlled experiment.Mindfulness. 2021;12:198-214. doi:10.1007/s12671-020-01512-5

Sawyer KB, Thoroughgood CN, Stillwell EE, Duffy MK, Scott KL, Adair EA.Being present and thankful: A multi-study investigation of mindfulness, gratitude, and employee helping behavior.J App Psychol. 2022;107(2):240-262. doi:10.1037/apl0000903

Creswell JD.Mindfulness interventions.Annu Rev Psychol. 2017;68:491-516. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-042716-051139

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