In therapy with my clients I often talk about how important it is to try and focus on the present, to maintain an awareness and avoid being sucked into a worry about the future or something you forgot to do a day before. I myself should heed this advice more often! It's definitely not an easy habit to develop and takes a lot of practice, but the lasting effects from it are incredible and life-changing. As research tells us, we have to find ways to incorporate the practice into our daily lives. From there, ideally it becomes a habit of which we are potentially unaware (or like, super aware). Think about ways to start small, and think about ways you maybe disconnect from the present.
So, I love Instagram. I love the creativity people have and the beautiful photos they post, and sure, I love gawking at famous bloggers and foodies on it too. But I find that rarely can I recall even one of the photos I swiped by or liked. Have you ever thought about it? How often do we scroll through social media and really take in all that information? And, do we really retain any information we are allegedly consuming? For me, I am trying to now limit my use of social media - I try to go on Facebook with a purpose versus to scroll through my news feed. On Instagram, I try to go slowly, really take in each photo, versus utilizing that rapid movement of my right thumb to swipe away. This is essentially one of my attempts to be mindful and present, and a good starting off point for those also actively engaged with social media.
Another way I've tried to increase my awareness is by taking a pause. I often multitask and get caught up in my thoughts or to-do list, but fortunately there are some moments where I pause myself. I will actually do a quick grounding technique (recognize my posture, the chair, the desk, etc...) and then remind myself of the present moment...what am I working on? How am I feeling? It's a good moment to check-in with myself and slow down, maybe stretch, get up and take a short walk, drink some water. Things that I honestly forget to do when I'm all caught up in a task.
I'll leave you with a quote from a past client I had the pleasure of knowing: Do the dishes to do the dishes.
xx
S