How are you today?
For this week’s Mental Sunshine, we’re returning to my word cloud.
This week’s word is present.
We’ve just come back from Glastonbury Festival, where my daughter and I had a truly brilliant time.
This truly was a new experience for me, and I really wanted to make sure I was fully present and enjoying every moment –
Especially when in the front of the crowd for Elton John’s performance!
Whether you’re at a music festival, attending your child’s school concert or just having a conversation with a friend, it’s easy for the mind to just wander off.
Before we know it, we’ve lost track of what’s going on in front of us because our brain is busy thinking about what comes next –
Or what happened before.
Or what’s for dinner, or what we need to buy at the shop later…
It’s easy then to miss the truly joyous moments in our lives – and to miss finding joy in your daily moments.
When we are truly present, we can appreciate each moment as it is.
Unfortunately there’s no quick fix or life hack for this –
It’s about just remembering and drawing your attention back to the present moment whenever you notice it’s wandered off.
An important point to make here: do this with kindness.
Don’t berate yourself for becoming distracted or missing something; just quietly reset your attention to where you want it to be.
You can practise this no matter where you are or what you’re doing.
When you’re in the crowd to see a music legend performing, it’s easier to keep your attention on what’s going on… when standing at the bus stop or queueing at the supermarket, there’s less to keep your attention in the present moment!
In the queue at the supermarket is the perfect time and place to practise this though – notice how your feet feel on the floor, what’s going on around you.
What can you see? Hear? Smell?
Really pay attention.
It’s strangely relaxing, isn’t it!
