Is it just, or is it difficult to live in the moment?

We find it hard to just be and to find peace where we are at any given time. Whether out for a walk, watching a film, in a meeting or trying to sleep, we constantly find our minds occupied and our thoughts elsewhere.

Whether looking ahead or mourning the past, we rarely find ourselves completely present in a moment, and as unintentional as it may be, it can be draining to consistently overthink. Because we don’t live in the moment, for whatever reason, we very easily miss out on the beauty of the now and the joy of the present. We look ahead and add to the never-ending to-do list in our minds. We mourn what has gone and dwell over situations past, trying to rationalise what cannot be. We daydream and drift away instead of just existing. And we allow ourselves to be repeatedly distracted by mindless and unproductive scrolling.

Living in the now and being present in the moment has always been important, but especially now, we live in such tumultuous and testing times. Living in the moment is vital in ensuring you experience and exist in a state of joy, peace and contentment. It ensures you can move on from the past and be present where you are now without needing to look ahead with angst and stress.

Living in the moment reduces stress, improves wellbeing and relationships and ensures you can create and sustain joy, cultivating happiness that will ripple through your life. Bringing clarity, peace and connection, living in the moment ensures you can embrace the now and free yourself from the shackles of overthinking.

Here at GirlDreamer, we are guilty of constantly being in our own heads and not living in the moment. In a world full of distractions, we want now more than ever to exist in the present and become attuned to the moment we are living in. In search of peace and joy, we want to share the steps we are taking to live in the moment and consciously focus on the present.

Step Outside

You know that good old saying, go touch grass? Fun fact. It helps!

For decades, even centuries, we have been told how instrumental the outdoors is in improving our well-being and making a difference in every part of our lives. Improving our mental health, mindfulness and physical and mental state, time spent outdoors has been scientifically proven to boost our well-being and create instrumental change in our lives.

Spending time outdoors is an excellent way to curate a state of mindfulness and peace that ripples through every aspect of your life. Encouraging a sense of stillness, time spent in nature helps you find peace in the slow and steady flow of things and encourages you to breathe in the present and exist in the moment.

Taking a moment outdoors every day can create a truly powerful mindset shift that encourages you to find beauty in the moment and joy in the stillness.

Slow Down

Speaking of stillness, when it comes to living in the moment, slowing down is instrumental.

So much of life goes by so quickly, and a part of that means we constantly feel like we are left to play catch-up. Catching up on life, with friends, with the small mediocre tasks. It’s like there is always something to do, and because of this, we move through life quickly, trying to get everything done to finally be able to take a breather and rest.

But do we ever really rest? Especially when we’re just on to the next task while multi-tasking countless other tasks. This constant state of rush is truly detrimental to our peace and antithetical to living in the moment.

Embracing the present and living in the moment is about having the clarity to experience where you are without looking ahead or being distracted.

The easiest way to achieve this sense of clarity is by slowing down and embracing the stillness of a moment.

Slowing down is essential in finding comfort in where you are. It is vital in ensuring you can exist in a moment and embrace the peace of where you are, truly living in the moment. We encourage you to take your time with your tasks, not set impossible deadlines and avoid multi-tasking to ensure you can experience stillness, calm and peace.

Reduce Your Screentime

Does anyone else spend all of their time on their phone? If you do, you’re not alone. But, as addictive as it may be, the amount of time we spend on our phones and laptops is truly detrimental to living in the moment and embracing the present. The incessant notifications, endless scrolling and unlimited content available to us can so easily pull us out of the moment and into a phase where our screens are constant distractions.

Checking our phones when watching a film, attending a concert and watching it only through our phones while we record, or doom scrolling instead of falling asleep are all examples of how easily our phones and screens can pull us away from the present and keep us distracted.

While our phones and screens can be useful and do help make our lives easier, they unfortunately also pull us away from reality and stop us from connecting more deeply with ourselves and our surroundings.

So, to live more in the moment and embrace the present, we encourage you to put your phones away. Manage your screen time allowances and keep them locked away so that you do not feel the need to mindlessly scroll instead of being in the present.

Living in the moment and embracing the present is instrumental in enjoying life. Slowing down, spending time outside and reducing your screen time can bring you peace, joy, clarity and connection and help you thrive!