Imagine you’re in an important office meeting. Your subordinate has been briefing you for over half an hour. You’re nodding after every sentence that comes out of their mouth but in reality, you’ve no idea what on God’s green Earth they are even talking about.
How often does it happen to you that two people around you are talking and you’ve absolutely no idea what they are talking about?
Maybe they are planning a vacation and you don’t even know what’s the destination yet.
What if they are talking about how they are feeling currently with whatever is going on around the world?
Or what if they are talking about how zoned out during most conversations they have around you?
A present body with an absent mind isn’t just carelessness, it could also be embarrassing, and most importantly it could be perceived as rude!
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I don’t need to stress enough about how important it is to pay attention to the smallest and biggest things in life.
But then again, let me back up my statements with research first. I believe in facts! 😉
Studies have revealed that an average person only remembers 50% of what they have heard right after they have heard it. Another study suggests only 10% of the initial message communicated is retained after 3 days.
The reason for these shocking stats is that most of us think of listening as a passive process that requires no effort.
Paying attention is a mental exercise that most of us aren’t that great at.
There’s a word called “Instauration” which means “renewing something”. I heard about this word recently and now you did too. But I can bet in three days, you won’t even remember this word or what it means.
Why?
Because we’re used to consuming information with a shut brain.
Most of us scroll so mindlessly through social media that we have burned a lot of the attention wires in our brains. Paying attention is difficult now! “ADHD” diagnosis is through the roof.
Being present and aware of your surroundings also means that you’re focusing on present events and your well-being because you aren’t stuck thinking about the past or future.
It helps your self-esteem grow and become stronger, too.
Research has found many benefits of being mindful of the present, like boosting your self-awareness.
When you practice being present, you’re building good habits for your future well-being. Present moment awareness over time has also been found to decrease stress and abrupt changes in your mood because you have more control over your thoughts.
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Have you ever purchased good quality leather boots?
Have you noticed how the more you use them, the better and more durable they get?
That’s how our brain works too. The more we use it and keep it active, the more present and sharp it becomes.
Being present is a great method of staying mentally fit. It makes you a better performer, quick with your thoughts and reaction time.
And I will tell you how to do that.
I have a small exercise for you.
Close your eyes and take 10 deep belly breaths. Focus on your breath.
Now start by being aware of your thoughts. Observe your thoughts.
Start the exercise by focusing on one of your senses. Focus on your hearing, your smell, the taste in your mouth, or what your skin is feeling. Focus on that and nothing else.
Expand your hearing to include a bigger space. After a few minutes (the time can be expanded or minimized at your convenience), switch to another sense.
Keep repeating until you have gone through all 5 senses (sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste).
FInish by taking another few deep belly breaths.
Tip – you can download a timer on your phone to help you manage the time, I use Insight Timer on iOS.
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You’re bound to encounter challenges when you commit to teaching yourself how to be more present.
After all, ruminations on the past or future are likely an unconscious habit. It’s easy to fall into a routine, but there are ways to trade your old habits for new ones that serve you a better purpose.
If you’re serious about changing your habits and putting more effort into being present, my 9D breathwork program will help you. This program is specifically designed to help you combat habits that keep you from achieving your maximum potential.
The best part is that you will start noticing the difference in your life from day one only.
