Hey, that is a very fair question.
Living in the moment isn’t always easy, given all the things that can happen to take up your mind. Worries about the future or events from the past have a habit of burying themselves into your thinking, making it very reasonable for you to want to live in the moment.
First, it is important to remember that while desirable, not everyone can always be living in the moment. It is very normal, for even the most mindful, to become occupied by other thoughts.
Be kind to yourself and know that living in the moment isn’t necessarily a switch that can be turned on. It can take time to develop that mindset, and even small steps in that direction can be good!
If you want to live in the moment, it may help to concentrate on what is going on around you during free moments of the day and notice even the small things such as the sounds and smells. Think about how your surroundings make you feel. Doing this even a few times a day can be a good starting point to becoming more present.
It may also be helpful to realize and acknowledge when you are currently enjoying yourself. For example, maybe you are currently happy sharing a snack with a friend. These nice moments can be drowned out by the chaos of one’s day, but recognizing when you are having a good time can help one appreciate the present more.
Additionally, thinking about the past and future isn’t always a bad thing. Learning from mistakes or planning ahead can be beneficial. Thus, being mindful of when you are focusing on something that isn’t in the moment and asking yourself, “why am I thinking about this?” can be a great tool to striking balance. If you concentrating on something else is causing you stress without much benefit, perhaps try and bring your focus back onto what is going on around you, as mentioned earlier.
Being able to manually direct your attention is much easier said than done, but again, “living in the moment” isn’t something that is done overnight. Be proud of even “small” steps!
