On Living in the Here & Now ...

“When each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises...The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better.” -Paulo Coelho Okay, okay, so I know 'living in the present' sounds very cliché and like a retreat advertisement of sorts...but the truth is, as this long winter forges on and life continues to be busy and throw us curve balls every now and again, focusing on one moment at a time really starts to matter. Here are some reasons why:

1. Interesting, feel good stuff is happening all around us! 

Whether it's a colleagues' big smile as you're walking down the hall, or noticing a strangers' kindness to a homeless person sitting on the curb, or that wonderful smell of coffee first thing in the morning, or the temperature being above the freezing mark, or traffic being much lighter due to March Break (hint; this was my wonderful mindful moment for me this week!!), or the dog who's mega pumped to be out and about for a walk...whatever it is, this is all good stuff that is all around us...And more than that, mindfulness and neuroscience research is telling us that focusing on the now can retrain our brain to move away from our natural inherent negativity bias and more towards the in-the-moment brain activity = more fulfilled, well state of mind.

2. When the tough stuff is happening, it helps us to acknowledge, face and move forward with new knowledge, strength and ideas. 

Flip side of the above research is that when we live in the present, even the tougher life stuff can become more manageable...by acknowledging, feeling and accepting what is, we can more readily face it with a perspective that suits our preferred way of being and responding to the world around us.

3. Focusing on the past and future too much takes your energy and focus from today!

....because instead of mixing the past up with now OR bringing the now into our future that hasn't happened yet, we have the energy to face today with a clearer mind. Focusing on the present keeps our energy reserves more fuelled and effective. And actually makes us more productive because we are focusing on what is within our control and ability; NOT the other way around!

4. ...because we should practice what we preach to others and take good care.

How many times have you caught yourself giving your best friend advice to slow down, take it easy and find more ways to laugh? Or chatting with a family member about what it means to take good care? Or even more than that, how many times have you gone above and beyond for someone you love to help them feel less stressed?...Being a mental health professional, I am very aware of the above info. However putting it to practice is a MUCH different story! And feel this is similar to lots of people; it's easier to take care of others and ignore our own self-care and needs. And it seems it is easy in our world to give (love, empathy, time, kindness, energy)  but much harder to slow down and pay attention to ourselves and what we may be needing. So I challenge you to pay attention to you this week and what your present day/moment/hour is feeling like and looking like. Chances are whatever sprouts up is important or useful for you to tune into.