It’s hard to be in the moment when life is busy. There are hundreds of articles on mindfulness. Of course I meditate (but not as often as I should) and attend my weekly yoga classes, but sometimes I find my mind is so busy that I’m not really present.

Here are 5 things that can help anchor you in the moment.

#1: Looking for cats

On my morning walk I set myself the task of looking for a particular thing. It might be a blue doors, the number 27 or red triangles. This morning I selected cats. I find that if I focus on one finding one particular thing, I’m really present on my walk.

This is to do with the reticular activating system in the brain. When you tune into a particular frequency, you only notice what you’re focusing on. It’s that whole thing of buying a red car and all of a sudden everyone is driving red cars.

#2: Taking pictures

Apart from the fact that I really love shoes, I take my #shoesoftheday on Instagram because it anchors me in the moment. I see something that might look cool with my shoes and I snap a picture. I spend the next few minutes coming up with a quirky tagline. My pictures are not staged. It’s just things I come across in the moment.

#3: Playing on the swings

Be a kid again and jump on the swings in the park. If you have a child, you can take them to the park or simply hang out with kids. They make their own fun and are perpetually in the moment.

#4: Being near water

Go for a walk by the water or simply look at the morning clouds reflected in the water. I find that being near water really grounds me.

#5. Kissing

Bet you didn’t see that one coming. It’s great to have someone to kiss. But if you don’t, you can always kiss a frog (you never know) or your crafty new boyfriend.

I came across this brilliant quote the other day. It comes from Matt Haig’s Reasons to Stay Alive.

 

If all else fails, release time and take a deep breath. You are here. You are now. You are perfect.

I’d love to hear some of the ways that you anchor yourself in the moment.

Main photo by John Baker on Unsplash.