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Why and how to live in the now

by | Jan 17, 2018 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

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Why and how to live in the now

In our last few columns we’ve covered reflecting on the past and making goals for the future. Are you wondering what happened to the present moment, the “now”, which is also called living in the moment or mindfulness? What brought this subject up for us is that I (Lynn) was heating soup in the microwave and I saw I had two minutes until it would be ready. My mind raced ahead to find what I could accomplish in two minutes. What was I thinking!!! Fortunately, I saw that I was caught up in the busyness of doing and that just being could be quite beneficial. I decided to take a few more moments to just relax and be in the now. When I mentioned my experience to Doug, we both realized that, as success coaches, we teach being in the now but that it’s easy to get rolling on the treadmill of accomplishment and savoring the journey can get left behind. We decided to revisit what we teach about why and how to live in the now.

How to do it is fairly simple and, with practice, living in the now gets easier. It involves focusing on breathing slowly, redirecting your mind when it wanders, and allowing yourself to be aware of the moment and really savoring it.

Why live in the now? Research shows many advantages. We can only share a few here to encourage you to live in the now more often. One of the most important benefits is that living in the now reduces stress. Often we let our thoughts control us. When we stay with the present we can let go of ruminating about the past and worrying about the future. We stop being concerned with how we are viewed by others and how our performance measures up and this promotes greater self-confidence. Albert Einstein said, “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

People who focus on being in the now can decrease impulsive decisions. Studies show they also have better social relationships, possibly due to the fact that being in the moment allows for being more aware but also having less ego-involvement which can decrease aggressiveness.

We can really live in the moment and savor what is going on. This can happen wherever you are, whether it is having a cup of coffee, taking a walk or any moment you allow yourself to really experience it. Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness, says that the art of savoring an experience involves the senses and can increase feelings of happiness.

We decided to ask people their thoughts about living in the now. We met Olga Kelly and her husband, Declan Curley. Two years ago they moved their family from Ireland and they now enjoy living in Chanhassen.

We asked Olga what she saw as some of the advantages of living in the now. She replied, “I think there are many advantages to being present. The first one is that you are more aware of your surroundings. You become more thankful and don’t consider what’s going to happen in the future. So, you don’t worry about things. You are also grateful for what you have and you don’t want anything else once you live in the now. It’s also good for your body and your digestive system. You can kind of relax.”

Then we asked her husband, Declan Curley, the same question. He shared, “Some of the advantages of living in the now are that you are not living in the past. You keep looking forward. I think for me, living in the now helps to do what you do well. I suppose the saying from my mom was, ‘When you are doing something, do it right’, so that helps as well. Plus, the other big advantage is that you are taking control of what you can and not worrying about what you can’t control, be it the future or the past.”

We recognize how being in the now is helpful. How about you? Are you spending time in the now?

Here’s a challenge: To be in the now, take time to stop and be conscious of your breathing. Refocus your thoughts so you are mindful of the sights, sounds, smells and what you are experiencing. Allow yourself to stop doing and enjoy just being so you can savor and enjoy the sense of peace and renewal.

Chanhassen residents Doug and Lynn Nodland are Success Coaches and owners of The Balance Center. They can be contacted at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2017 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.