How To Be More Present Every Day: 10 Simple Self-Care Habits
Being more present is about living in the moment. It’s about being immersed in the here and now.
When you live more in the present moment, you engage mindfully with what you’re doing. It helps your body and mind slow down, it brings your attention back to yourself, and also helps reduce stress and overthinking. Being present can also increase focus and creativity.
With that being said, being more present and living in the moment is not easy, especially if you’re not used to it. But like most things in life, you can practice and get better at it with time.
Today, I’m sharing with you 10 simple self-care habits to help you be more present and live in the moment.
10 SMALL Self-care habits to live in the present moment
1. Mindful breathing
Mindful breathing is a simple activity and a powerful way to turn your awareness back to yourself and the present moment.
What is great about mindful breathing is that it is quick, simple, and can be done anywhere, at any time. You can practice it whenever and wherever you feel like it. And it doesn’t require a lot of time before you notice a difference.
So, how do you practice mindful breathing?
It’s easy. You close your eyes (or not — it depends on your preference), then you take long, deep breaths, and bring your awareness to the rise and fall of your chest and belly as you inhale and exhale. Focus your attention on how your mind and body feel. Then you keep going for at least a couple of minutes.
Tip:
Starting your morning with some mindful breathing can help you connect to yourself first thing in the morning. It’s a great way to start your day feeling more present, balanced, and approach the rest of your day with a clear and focused mind.
2. Engage your senses
If you want to live more in the present moment, your senses can help anchoring you.
Engage your senses: bring attention to the sights around you, to the noises, to the smells, etc… Engaging all your senses helps you slow down and focus your attention on the present moment and everything that is going on around you and within.
Like mindful breathing, using your senses is simple, and can be done anywhere, at any time, and doesn’t require a lot of time. Slow down and paying attention to your senses for just one or two minutes is enough to feel the benefits, and help you be more present.
3. Use a mantra or affirmation
Using a mantra or affirmation is also a great way to focus your on attention on one specific thing — in this case, repeated words.
For this, choose a mantra or affirmation that resonates with you, and repeat it throughout the day whenever you need it. The simple act of repeating these chosen words will help you become focused, and connect you to the present moment. And at some point, the mind will do it on its own.
Tip:
The words you choose don’t have to be a mantra or an affirmation. It can be anything else that feels right to you. It’s your own practice, after all, so don’t hesitate to personalize it. (Personally, I use neither mantras nor affirmations, but short poems instead.)
4. Go for a mindful walk
What better way is there to be present and connected to the moment than going on a walk?
Walking is always an excellent habit to add to your everyday self-care practice, but opting for a mindful walk in particular is like its own magic trick. The simple act of noticing, paying attention to what surrounds you (the sights, the sounds, the noises, the colors, the temperature) instead of letting your mind and thoughts wander is a tremendously effective way to help connect to the present moment, and be more aware and mindful of the world around you.
And once again, you don’t have to walk for long: just 5 or 10 minutes can be enough to become more present.
5. Have a slow Evening ritual
A slow ritual is a nice, simple way to be more present as you calm down and come back to yourself. It is a quiet time where you can let go of the day, nurture yourself, and be in the moment.
Personally, I like to add a slow self-care ritual in my evenings. It always helps me switch my brain off, wind down after the stress of the day, and find that inner peaceful awareness.
Your ritual can be anything you like, any activity or hobby that you genuinely enjoy, and doesn’t have to be one thing only. You can have a few and alternate each day. Variety enriches life, after all.
Ideas of slow rituals:
- Yoga
- Journaling
- Deep breathing exercises
- Artistic outlets like writing, painting, sculpting, etc…
- A long and warm bath
- Preparing your favorite beverage and drinking it with attention
- Etc…
6. Disconnect from technology
Screens are the most effective way to be cut from the present moment.
It’s no wonder that the most common thing people report after disconnecting from technology is being more present. With so much of our time spent on screens these days, our minds are focused on what’s going on there, and disconnected from what’s directly around us. They monopolize your mind, attention, and focus.
So allow yourself the peace of taking a break from your phone, computer, and or TV, and bring your attention back to yourself and the world directly around you.
Note:
Aside from helping you be more present, turning off your electronics one or two hours before bed is a good way to care for your brain and improving the quality of your sleep (screens emit blue light which interfers and can discrupt sleep).
7. Journal your thoughts
Journaling and writing down thoughts and feelings is also a good way to turn your attention back to yourself.
Journaling and putting down thoughts and feelings on paper can be helpful. Especially if you reflect on them. Doing this helps bring attention to what is going on within you, both mentally and emotionally. And usually, by the time you’re done with it, you’re left feeling lighter, a bit like you’ve just dumped all your mental clutter out of yourself.
Though I’m mentioning thoughts and feelings, journaling is a very personal practice, and you should write about anything you feel like putting down on paper, so it can be other things instead.
And just like the previous habits mentioned before, you don’t necessarily need more than 5/10 minutes to help.
8. Meditation
Meditation is a simple way to help you connect to the present moment and yourself. You don’t have to meditate for hours for meditation to be effective. Even just 5 minutes suffices.
The deliberate act of slowing down, sitting in a comfortable position, and turning from the outside world to focus on your mind and breathing can help you be more present. When you meditate, as you breathe in and out long and deep breaths, and observe your passing thoughts without any judgment, you become mindful of the fact that you exist here and now.
You don’t need to overthink meditation. Just sit or lie down, relax, and focus on your breathing, or your mind, or your body. You only have to slow down and focus on one single thing at a time.
9. Yoga
Doing some yoga is such a fantastic way to slow down, and be present in both your body and your mind.
Compared to the other habits, it is less easy to incorporate into your daily life. It’s not exactly something you can turn to at any moment of the day. But it’s still an excellent habit to help you live in the present. It brings your attention to how your body feels, how your mind feels, helps you find balance and focus as you move and breathe and flow from one posture to another.
Your yoga session can be short and effective as well.
10. Mindful eating
Mindful eating is also an excellent way to connect to the present moment, and focus your attention on what you’re doing – in this case, eating (or drinking).
It’s a simple but wonderful practice that turns eating from a mindless act to a mindful one. Where instead of rushing through your meal, you slow down, take your time to notice and enjoy the food you’re nourishing your body with. With mindful eating, you pay attention to the colors, smell all the different fragrances, and savor all the flavors.
Tip:
Try it with your eyes closed. Really pay attention to your food as you chew slowly. You’ll notice how much richer and stronger all the flavors become.
FINAL WORD
So that’s it about my self-care tips on how to be more present.
These are 10 simple self-care tips and little habits that are easy to sneak into your everyday life without too much struggle. These are simple yet powerful ways to help you be more present and live in the moment.
Developing the habit of becoming more present and mindful doesn’t require much time or effort, just the regular practice of small, simple habits that help bring your attention to what is going on here and now, and anchor yourself. Over time, consistent practice will train your brain to be naturally more present and focused on the present moment.
Remember, the key to being more present in the moment is just to slow down and focus on one thing. And if you want, you can also check the daily habits that help me stay san and grounded every day.
And for more self-care ideas and tips, you can check out this guide How To Create The Perfect Self-Care Plan In 7 Easy Steps as well as The 7 Self-Care Pillars: A complete Guide and Checklist and Top 10 Common Self-Care Mistakes And How To Avoid Them to help you navigate self-care as easily and smoothly as possible.
What about you? What do you do that helps you be more present and connected? Please, share your tips and ideas in the comments below.
I hope you have a nice and agreeable day. And don’t forget to be kind and take care of yourself– you deserve it.
Take care, friends!