To Become More Present, Practice Noticing Where Your Attention Is Instead Of Trying To Calm Down
Being mindful isn’t about being relaxed all the time.
It’s about feeling more present and alive.
Mindful awareness is the natural capacity we all have for tracking what’s happening in the present.
Mindful practice refers to a variety of attention exercises that prepare us to respond more effectively to everyday circumstances.
Noticing what we’re noticing
When we’re present, we’re able to see, hear, feel, taste, and smell the details of our current experience. We even notice the impact of thoughts and emotional reactions.
When people report not being present, they describe their attention as being on something other than what they’re doing. They might be remembering past experiences, imagining future scenarios, or trying to figure something out unrelated to their current task or activity.
Less friction
Internal friction appears when we try to make unpleasant moments less uncomfortable or to improve on pleasant moments.
Worrying can feel like exerting control, but it also generates a barrage of worst-case scenarios.
A pint of ice cream can take the edge off an unpleasant emotion, but we tend to regret eating when we weren’t hungry.
Making vacation plans can make us feel less satisfied with the vacation we’re currently taking.
When we’re present, we’re able to observe our moment-by-moment experiences more vividly and with less internal friction.
More focus and composure
With consistent practice, we can expand the range of circumstances in which we’re able to stay focused and composed.
This helps erode our tendency to undermine pleasant moments and escalate unpleasant ones.
Over time, being present seems less abstract and more tangible — literally coming back to our senses.
We start to catch our attention sooner when it inevitably heads down rabbit holes in our imagination in order to gently coax it back to what’s happening right now.
