From Existing to Living: 10 Gentle Reminders to Return to the Present Moment

We are not truly living if we are not present. Most of us spend our lives chasing the next goal, believing that once we reach it, we'll finally feel fulfilled. But the moment we arrive, we barely pause to celebrate, we immediately begin searching for the next thing, It's like we're never satisfied.

I realized that during my walks after work, I was not fully present. As I took my walk, it stuck me, I hadn't even notice the trees and their ever changing leaves, dancing with seasons. The vibrant flowers blooming so beautifully, the sweet smell of grass after the rain, all of it had gone unnoticed. But then I had a nostalgic moment. I remembered how, as a child, I could smell the earth after it rained. That fresh, magical scent. Now, as an adult, I realized I had forgotten it, my mind so cluttered with thoughts that I had stopped paying attention to the beauty right in front of me.

Many of us are living in a world filled with constant stimulation. We may be physically present at work, with friends or at events but mentally, we are somewhere else. We're rarely fully here.

A friend of mine is a perfect example. She works hard and is a real go-getter. She has a beautiful apartment and a car, yet she often speaks about where she "should" be by now. I remind her, " You have so many great things going on in your life. Enjoy this moment. What you want will come."

My point is: many of us are not present. We are always reaching, always chasing-forgetting to live right now. It's either we stuck in the past. overthinking the mistakes we've made, or chasing the future so much we forget to be here, now. I'm not saying we shouldn't think about the future, but it's not worth letting it consume our minds to the point where we forget to live in the moment

10 Gentle Reminders to Return to the present moment

• Feel your Breath.

  Pause and take a slow inhale through you nose and an slower exhale through your mouth. Let each breath remind you: you are alive now

  
  

• Notice the details around you.

  The texture of the fabric you're wearing. The way light spills into the room. The quite hum of life. Let your senses bring you back.

  
  

• Say a grounding mantra.

  I am here.I am safe. I am present. I am grounded in this moment.

  
  

• Place your hand on your heart.

  Feel the rhythm. Your heart is always beating in the present. Let its pulse remind you that this moment is enough.

  
  

• Step outside and look up.

  The sky, the clouds, the stillness of nature, they're always living in the now. Let them teach you how to just be.

• Savor something slowly.

  A warm sip of tea. A bite of fruit. Water on your lips. Taste it. Feel it. Be with it. Presence lives in the little things.

  
  

• Stretch your body.

  Reach up, roll your shoulders, take up space. Movement anchors you in your body and your body only lives in the present.

  
  

• Listen, really listen.

  Whether it's a song, your own breath, or the wind outside, give it your full attention. presence is hidden in sound.

  
  

• Let go of the clock.

  Even if just a moment, forget what time it is. Drop the schedule. Drop the rush. This breath, this moment, is timeless.

  
  

• Remember, the present is where peace lives.

  You can't rewrite the past. But you can choose right now and that choice is your freedom.

  
  

  We are living in a time where being constantly occupied has become the norm, our minds are often everywhere but here. But presence is a choice. Choose to be present for your peace. Detox from social media when it starts feeding anxiety abouth the future. One of the greatest thieves of presence is the endless scroll of comparison.

  This moment you are in? You will never get it back. So breath it in, feel it fully, and let it be enough.