To be happy, you have to enjoy the moment and appreciate being here now. I agree with you, it’s actually a lot easier said than done. Yet the key to happiness lies in the present. But between past and future, the present doesn’t always have a place in our heads. Do you feel that you’re not living in the present, and that you’re missing out on what’s essential? Thinking too much and losing sight of your surroundings?

To live from day to day, you need to let go and put the power of the present moment into practice. Here are 4 tips for living in the moment.

But why can’t we enjoy the present moment?

As human beings, we are very preoccupied with our future and our success in life. We spend most of our time thinking, projecting, imagining and planning. We’re constantly thinking about what we could or should do. What’s more, we all had the unfortunate tendency to dwell on the past and allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by guilt, sadness and nostalgia. Between work, personal and social obligations, it’s hard to enjoy the present moment. So much so, you’re caught in this vicious circle that you’re subject to stress and anxiety all the time. As a result, you miss out on the essential, on happiness, and enjoy very little (if any) of life’s little pleasures.

In fact, our thoughts detach us from reality, taking us elsewhere and pushing us to act automatically without really observing what’s going on in and around us. So it’s not possible to live in the present, if we let them take over our consciousness.

WHAT DOES LIVING IN THE PRESENT ACTUALLY MEAN?
It means living in the present moment, without letting guilt and fear overwhelm us. In reality, there’s no point in having regrets or remorse – the past is history. You can’t go back and change anything. Likewise, there’s no need to be afraid of what’s going to happen in the future. It’s just a hypothesis that may or may not come true.

But is living from day to day the same thing as drawing a line under the past or not planning for the future? Of course not. Enjoying the present moment means being able to detach oneself from the past, accepting that it remains unchanging. This does not exclude the possibility of taking stock of bad actions in order to act more effectively. On the other hand, it means being able to plan one’s future serenely, without worry or stress.

Simply put, living in the present moment means being attentive to what’s going on around you, to others and to nature. Being present in body and mind in everything you do. It means being able to see the important things and not miss out on what matters.

4 tips for putting the power of the present moment into practice

Making the most of the present moment is not an innate reflex. You have to learn to stay anchored in the present and not let your thoughts carry you away. Of course, our thoughts, feelings and emotions will never go away. So we need to work on our ability to stay focused on the present and not let ourselves go. To achieve this, simply apply these 4 recommendations.

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND YOU
It’s clear that your emotions and thoughts will always be there. You can’t help thinking about the past or the future. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the present moment. To do this, you have to learn to observe what’s going on around you and within you as if you were watching a film. It’s the only way to live in the present and stay in touch with what’s essential. If you want to live in the present moment, you also need to pay attention to everything you do, focusing your mind on it. Observing attentively is a difficult exercise that requires a lot of work. Yet it’s an essential step in putting the power of the present moment into practice.

LEARN TO MANAGE YOUR THOUGHTS
To enjoy the present moment, you have to accept that you can’t control everything, and let go. The sooner you accept this, the better off you’ll be. Whether it’s your thoughts or past or future situations, stop constantly asking yourself why or how. Overthinking wastes time and energy. To live from day to day, you need to let your thoughts take over and decide how much importance you attach to them. Above all, learn to ignore negative thoughts by concentrating on something else.

ENJOY EVERYTHING YOU DO
If you want to live in the present moment, you have to enjoy what you’re doing. It’s true that we sometimes have to do things we don’t like, but that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying the present moment. That’s why you need to find ways of doing it with pleasure. You can, for example, listen to music while carrying out a task, or concentrate on positive thoughts.

SAVOUR EVERY MOMENT
Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, close your eyes and breathe. Become aware of the present moment. The present isn’t yesterday, it’s not tomorrow: it’s right here, right now. It’s never too late to live in the moment, you just have to realize that you’re already there. Enjoying the moment means focusing on what’s happening now.

What to remember?

The past has already passed us by. There’s nothing we can do about it except accept it. As for the future, it doesn’t yet belong to us. The only thing that’s always within our grasp is the present, right now. To be happy, we need to put the power of the present moment into practice. All you have to do is become aware of everything that’s happening around you and within yourself. No longer acting automatically, but really living in the present. Enjoying the present moment doesn’t mean forgetting the past or ignoring the future. It simply means living day by day, paying more attention to yourself and everything around you. In this way, you can live without regret and plan the future more realistically and with peace of mind.