For most of us, we’re always more focused on the future than we are on the now. Instead of enjoying what’s happening right now, in this moment, we tend to worry and preoccupy ourselves with what’s coming down the road. If you could stand to unwind and treat yourself a little, then try these three ways to live in the moment, responsibly.
Stop Saving Things For Special Occasions
So many of us find ourselves getting into the bad habit of “perfectionist procrastination.” This is when we put things off until the circumstances are “perfect.” For example, maybe you have a bottle of expensive wine sitting on your counter, but you don’t allow yourself to drink it because you want to save it for the perfect occasion. Despite having wine, you keep buying cheaper bottles, because you think you need to save it for something special.
Stop doing this. Living in the moment entails not waiting for circumstances to be perfect. Open that bottle of wine you’ve been saving. Take those gorgeous fine china dishes out of the box and use them, dinner or no dinner. Living in the moment means letting go of waiting for your life to magically become perfect.
Take Care Of Yourself
For some people, taking care of themselves means going to the gym. For others, it means drawing a hot bubble bath and applying your favorite face mask. Whatever taking care of yourself means to you, take time each week to do so. A lot of us lead lives where we tend to worry about the welfare of others more than we worry about our own happiness. A few hours of self-care can be great for the mind, body and spirit.
Really Interact With People
In a digital world, it’s easy to start to only interact with others from behind a screen. However, this is not a true personal interaction. Each day, try to have a real face to face conversation with someone. Maybe you go to visit an older relative and ask them about their day. Perhaps you just strike up a conversation with your barista while waiting for your morning coffee. Whatever the context, a true conversation is one of the best ways to really appreciate people face to face and in the moment.
If you follow these tips, you can concern yourself with what will come a little less and instead focus on what is happening right now. How else do you live in the moment?
