Do you struggle with staying in the present moment? Here are 5 tips for enjoying the here and now!
Do you struggle with staying in the present moment? Here are 5 tips for enjoying the here and now!
Savvy Psychologist is hosted by Dr. Monica Johnson. A transcript is available at Simplecast.
Find Savvy Psychologist on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to the newsletter for more psychology tips.
Savvy Psychologist is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips.
Links:
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/savvy-psychologist-newsletter
https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist
https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych
https://www.kindmindpsych.com/
Do you struggle with staying in the present moment? Here are 5 tips for enjoying the here and now! Welcome back to Savvy Psychologist, I'm your host, Dr. Monica Johnson. Every week on this show, I'll help you face life's challenges with evidence-based approaches, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.
I got this question from a listener recently: “How can I practice mindfulness without necessarily doing meditation? I hate breathing exercises.”
I hear you! Many of my patients struggle with breathing exercises, particularly in the beginning. The great thing is that meditation is only one aspect of mindfulness. When you think about mindfulness, the ultimate goal is to live mindfully and not simply focus on distinct mindful moments. This is because living mindfully keeps you connected with life and helps to deepen your experiences. When we live unmindfully, we can be tricked into believing that we have a crystal clear picture of ourselves and the world around us, when actually it’s like looking through fogged-up glasses.
I’ll give an example. I’ve been rewatching one of my OG reality TV shows, Flavor of Love. While I was rewatching it on my laptop, I kept thinking, “was the picture quality really this bad back then?” Then I remembered that new technology allows us to be closer to the in-person experience. We get the depth of color; I can see the acne that they tried to cake under makeup in a way that older technology didn’t allow. Mindfulness can take you from your grandmother’s 13-inch CRT television that she watched her stories on in the kitchen to the best 4K that money can buy.
If you’ve had trauma in your past, have attachment difficulties, or struggle with mental illness, your urge can be to avoid your experience. That comes with several downsides, namely, you don’t get to build insight and learn from negative experiences and you don’t get to feel and engage with your positive experiences.
So how do you start living more mindfully? In this episode, I’m going to highlight the five building blocks of present experience that occur in each waking moment. Use these to start building a more enriching life!
5-sense perception has to do with the 5 senses of taste, smell, touch, vision, and hearing. Our senses help us connect to our experiences. You may want to notice which of your senses dominates and try honing in on some of the others. For instance, if you’re an extremely visual person, perhaps you should close your eyes and listen to sounds in your environment. Note how that is different from sight and what you’re able to perceive because of it. If you’re stressed, you may want to use essential oils and take a few breaths to relax, as the smell can trigger a calming reaction.
Cognitions are our thoughts, interpretations, and beliefs. We are not always aware of our thoughts, but they do impact our emotions and the way we view ourselves and others.
There is so much power in perception and you hold much of that inside and don’t even realize it. Many of our problems come from faulty interpretations and distortions in reality. If you consistently tell yourself that you are nothing, you will shrink to match the reality you’ve created.
When it comes to mindfulness, you will want to label these cognitions accordingly. It sounds silly, but it can make a big difference. Simply labeling a thought a thought or a feeling a feeling gives you some distance to explore it.
For example: “I am having the thought that I am nothing. Hmm, why is that? Where does that thinking come from? How can I change it?” In this exploration, you can get a deeper understanding of yourself and reshape your world. You can replace “I’m nothing” with “I’m somebody,” and allow yourself to grow into that new space you created.
I don’t think I have to tell you that emotions have a major impact on how we experience life. We can drag unwanted emotions from the past into our present experience. We can also inhibit the natural flow of emotions when we are afraid of them and try to stuff them down.
I’m here to tell you: you’re stronger than your emotions. They talk a big game, but remember this is your house and in many ways they have to play by your rules. Be curious about your emotions. What is setting them off? Is there a way to soothe your emotions or is there a problem in your environment that needs to be solved?
For example, if I recently broke up with my partner, I may want to focus on soothing my emotional experience, not suppressing it. If you don’t allow the natural flow of your emotions, they don’t get resolved. The goal here is to help it along, like when you massage sore muscles.
If you remember from previous episodes, I have let you know that emotions are signals, so it could be your mind trying to communicate to you about something in your environment. Perhaps that emotion is trying to encourage you to speak to your friend because something they said hurt your feelings. It would behoove you to try and decode the message.
Movement has to do with the physical actions of our bodies. They include motor movements like picking up objects, body postures, gestures, and facial expressions.
Movement affects our present-day experiences. For example, in childhood, if we had a domineering and critical parent, we may have learned to slump our shoulders or avoid eye contact. If you’re experiencing the emotion of happiness, you may have a smile on your face or notice a spring in your step.
You can use movement to enhance your experience or to change it. For instance, if I’m really enjoying myself, I am known to do a happy dance. It’s not the singing in the street kind of motion, but if I’m eating a good meal and enjoying my company, a shoulder shimmy is likely to occur.
If you’re feeling insecure, check in with your body. Sitting or standing a little straighter may modify your experience.
Body sensation encompasses the sensory experiences generated internally from changes in electrical, chemical, and muscular activity. Examples of this include the sensation of hunger, butterflies in your stomach, feeling the flush of your skin, or a racing heart.
Some of us, due to experiences of trauma or other symptoms of mental illness, may feel disconnected from these experiences, so tapping into this energy can be beneficial. You’ll want to check the fuses so to speak to ensure you’re fully tapped in.
If you struggle with any of these building blocks, take a week or two to focus on that domain and increase your mindfulness in that area. You can do it without formally doing any breathing exercises–you’ll notice none of the tips I gave earlier mentioned anything about meditation!
Becoming more mindful in these ways has a wealth of benefits. You can become less reactive to emotional triggers. You can develop a sense of curiosity and approach your internal and external world instead of avoiding it. Mindfulness also aids in improving your focus and deepening your relationships. Ultimately, it’s a path toward having a rich and fulfilling life!
What building block do you need the most help with? Do you have a question you’d like for me to explore on the show. Let me know on Instagram @kindmindpsych. You can also reach out to me via my email at psychologist@quickanddirtytips.com, or leave a voicemail at (929) 256-2191.
The Savvy Psychologist is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast. It's audio engineered by Steve Riekeberg, with script editing by Adam Cecil. Our Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist is Morgan Christiansen. Our Digital Operations Specialist is Holly Hutchings. And our marketing and publicity assistant is Davina Tomlin. Follow Savvy Psychologist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. That's all for this episode of Savvy Psychologist. Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week.