In our current twenty-first century lives, life can be fast paced and hectic, there’s always something coming up that we need to prepare for or anticipate, and our lives are so well-documented that it’s never been easier to get lost in the past. Lives with technology at our finger tips means that distraction is at an all-time high. Without even realising it, we can find ourselves being sucked into the past and future, leaving us exhausted. There’s so much to think about and process!

Being in the present moment, or the ‘here and now’ means that we are aware and mindful of what is happening at this very moment. We are not distracted by ruminations on the past or worries about the future but centred in the here and now. All our attention is focused on the present moment.

The author Myrko Thum sums it up like this:

“The present moment is the only thing where there is no time. It is the point between past and future. It is always there and it is the only point we can access in time. Everything that happens, happens in the present moment. Everything that ever happened and will ever happen can only happen in the present moment. It is impossible for anything to exist outside of it.”

Put like that, it can feel a little hard to get one’s head around, so how do we take this forward to support our wellbeing? Given that the bigger picture can be overwhelming and difficult to manage, starting small and one step at a time, all helps towards tackling the bigger issues.

This image, drawn by Sonia Sparkles, helps us to consider those thoughts we can try to put to one side, in order to focus on the now. Given the suggestion of starting small, try this – at some point today, pause, and really try to bring your focus back to the present moment, leaving everything else aside. Notice how it feels to really immerse yourself in whatever it is you are doing in that moment, whether it is work, or otherwise.