Living in the present moment is one of the hardest tasks that one can do consistently thanks to the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Whether it's pressure from school, work, relationships and so much more, our mind is always occupied with thoughts from the past or the future but rarely on the present moment. This monkey branching from one thought to another is the top reason for the prevalence of Mental health issues such depression, anxiety, panic attacks and the list continues. When we constantly think about the past, we unearth emotional wounds and trauma that breeds resentment and a feeling of helplessness thus robbing us of the opportunity to plan ahead. At the same time, thinking about the future breeds anxiety and pathological fear of what might happen and in most cases we end up self-fulfilling the perceived negative experience that we fear might happen. Unfortunately, it has seemed normal for one to be always 'busy' tinkering from one thought to another making us walking zombies who have no idea of what is happening around us. We tend to disregard the present moment as we believe it has already arrived and has no meaning, so we occupy our minds with endless thoughts that end up causing mental fatigue as a result. We have to realize that the present Now is all that matters and striking this balance is an Achilles heel to most people largely due to mind conditioning. Living in the moment is as simple as being aware of the surrounding environment, whether it is the chirping of birds, our breathing patterns, how we walk, talk and fully listening to others instead of thinking internally on what to say. It also involves watching our thoughts and emotions as an 'outsider' where we disassociate with them and allow ourselves to truly live the current life experience and enjoy it while it last. While it's good to dream about the future, it's even better to work hard today and what a better way to know what actions to take than to be fully involved in the present moment. The same case applies to past memories where we should only look at the past to access the successes and mistakes that we did in order to build upon and rectify where necessary in order to create better memories now for the future, so it's essential that we strike a balance between the past and the future while enjoying the present moment. One can achieve this by meditation, keeping a journal of our thoughts, doing some yoga as well as being grateful for everyday above ground. In conclusion, living truly in the present moment is paramount to our well-being and the key to a happy life today and tomorrow.
