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| Meta Title | How to be more present, according to seven experts | ||||||||||||
| Meta Description | From using a spice jar to focusing on your senses during everyday tasks, hereâs what the experts say about how to become more present | ||||||||||||
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| Boilerpipe Text | The hectic modern world can make it difficult to stay present.
We often get caught up thinking about the future or the past, and forget that our life always unfolds before us in the ânowâ.
So, what can we do to be more present on a day-to-day basis? We asked a group of experts for their top tips when it comes to being more present. Hereâs what they said.
âGradually train your mind to inhabit the present momentâ
Alex Montagu, founder of
The Tranquil Lawyer
Our preoccupations with the past and the future often come at the expense of missing out living in the present. Modern Western society has conditioned most of us in this way of thinking. But the mind can be retrained to create new ways of detaching from the confines of the past and future.
Future and past are purely mental perceptions. Have you ever seen, touched, smelled, or tasted the future? When the future arrives, it becomes the present. As for the past, it only exists in your memory, which is why it is often distorted.
The mind can be retrained to create new ways of detaching from the confines of the past and future, says Montagu (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Mindfulness allows us to repeatedly bring ourselves into the present moment. Training the mind to inhabit the present moment â the only place where reality unfolds â enables you to escape the prison of psychological time.
Mindfulness and meditation are invaluable in helping us navigate through these trying times, but they cannot be achieved in a single day. They require intent and regular practice.
As your mind becomes accustomed to living in the present moment, your inner wisdom begins to shine through â you awaken to your true nature, which is the interconnectedness of all beings.
Here are some tips. Sit down in a quiet place and ask yourself the following questions: where am I? what are my surroundings like? Notice what you see around you, such as the objects in a room or your view through a window. How does my body feel? Do I feel warm, cold or normal? Do I feel any aches or pains? Notice the sensations in your body and how long they last.
Mindfulness and meditation require regular practice, says Montagu (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Am I feeling any emotions right now? Is there anger? Jealousy? Boredom? Restlessness? Excitement? What are my thoughts? Whatâs going through my mind? Try this on a consistent basis, at least once or twice a day.
You can also try mindful breathing meditation. In this meditation, you concentrate your attention on the breath. Breathe in deeply through the stomach. Feel your stomach rise with the inhale while breathing in all the way. Hold it in for a count of 10, then exhale slowly through another count of 10, relaxing your whole body with the exhale. Repeat this nine times.
Make sure your body is not slumped. Bring your full attention to the practice â to the inhale, holding the breath and the exhale.
The present moment is the only place where reality unfolds (Photo: Adobe Stock)
âFocus on the senses you donât usually pay much attention toâ
Connie Habash
, marriage and family therapist, yoga and meditation teacher
When weâre present, weâre engaged in our senses, in what is happening in the moment, and with ourselves. We can even be present with someone else. In presence, weâre not caught up in the mind â the more we can release thoughts when they arise, the more present we can be.
Presence comes from letting go all of the stories we tell ourselves about the past, the future, and even the narration we give to whatâs happening now. We let go of thinking about it and actually experience it.
One impactful way to become more present is to focus on senses that we donât pay as much attention to, such as touch, smell, and taste.
Presence comes from letting go of the stories we tell ourselves (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Vision is the primary way that most people engage with the world: our eyes dart around to a large degree in response to our thinking state. Shift yourself out of thinking into this moment by engaging those lesser-developed senses through these practices.
Pick up a spice jar and open it
Close your eyes and hold it near your nostrils, taking in the fragrance. Contrast different herbs and spices and notice your visceral reactions.
Make some time to eat mindfully
Have a little sampler plate of different kinds of tastes: something sweet, something sour, something salty, something bitter, and something spicy. Sit down comfortably, close your eyes, and take just a tiny bit of one of the tastes into your mouth. Feel it, chew it, notice how your tongue responds and what emotions it might invoke.
Engaging with senses other than vision can help to bring you back into the present moment, according to Habash (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Step outside into a yard, on the sidewalk, a local park, or hiking trail
Find something that you can touch, such as dewy grass, a railing, a soft petal, or the bark of a tree. Explore different textures with your fingers. Feel what itâs like to lean against a tree, or walk mindfully on the earth. Deeply engage your sense of touch.
While you are outdoors, explore with your sense of smell
What is the air like around you? If flowers are blooming, what do they smell like? Does the tree bark have a smell? We willing to explore different scents in your environment.
Listen deeply
Again, have a seat and close your eyes, preferably outdoors. What sounds are close to you? What do you hear on the other side of the fence or wall? What are the farthest sounds you can hear? Listen to both natural and unnatural sounds without judgment and intent interest, exploring how much you can hear.
âFeel the aliveness of your physical bodyâ
Mahesh Grossman, clinical hypnotherapist and owner of
Berkeley Hypnosis & Pain Management
The opposite of being present is getting lost in our thoughts or our daydreams. Thatâs a kind of a trance, where we arenât completely aware of our surroundings and what weâre doing.
As a hypnotherapist, I have a lot of practice bringing people out of trances, which I need to do at the end of my sessions. Here are two tips.
Firstly, one of the quickest ways to get back to the present is to become aware of your physical body. Take a few seconds to feel the aliveness or inner sensations of your feet, your knees, your hips, your hands, your chest and your forehead. If you want to come back faster, just feel your feet, your hands and your forehead.
Secondly, when youâre stuck in a worry loop, (which keeps you from being present), it helps to switch your focus to the visual parts of the brain, which include the occipital lobe.
One technique I use to help people stop worrying is called the brain wash. In your imagination, unzip your head, take out your brain, and wash it in the kitchen sink. Rinse it off, re-wash any spots you missed, then place it back in your head. As strange as it may sound, this visualisation stops the worry and brings a sense of peace in its place, allowing you to be present instead of stuck in your head.
Becoming aware of your physical body can help to anchor you in the present moment (Photo: Adobe Stock)
âUse daily tasks to help you stay presentâ
Julie Leonard
, life coach and speaker
I recommend choosing some daily tasks and becoming more mindful as you do them. A couple of good examples are brushing your teeth and having a shower.
For example, usually when you are brushing your teeth your thoughts are elsewhere, often thinking about what you are going to be doing next. Instead, in those two minutes, focus on being fully present. Focus solely on the act of brushing your teeth.
Focusing on daily tasks can help you to stay present, according to Leonard (Photo: Adobe Stock)
The action of putting the toothpaste on the brush, smelling the mint fragrance, focusing on each tooth as you brush, becoming aware of the taste and the minty freshness of your breath. Be fully present for the whole two minutes.
âLearn to disrupt your habitual ways of perceptionâ
Howard J. Rankin PhD
, neurologist and author
Without observation of our consciousness, we will remain painfully unaware of the habitual ways we see the world including ourselves.
By their very nature, habits are automatic and so we can and often go through life with the same lenses and editors shaping our perceptions thoughts and behaviors. Learning to detach ourselves from our usual conscious defenses is therefore critical in understanding ourselves and changing how we see not just our lives but everything we come across.
Rankin suggests that developing a better observation of our consciousness can help to improve our overall presence (Photo: Adobe Stock)
In my book,
I Think Therefore I am Wrong
, I point out the many biases that influence us. We need insight into what they are and how we use them, to change the conventional way we see the world.
Mindfulness and meditation exercises are helpful in getting out of habitual processing and stepping back from our usual lenses.
It is also important that such exercises are not about feeling peaceful for a few minutes a day â they need to be incorporated into daily life so that they disrupt our old habitual ways of perception. Being able to step back from the lenses that have developed over your lifetime and see the world and your consciousness is the basis of wisdom.
The pursuit and adoption of virtues, like humility, gratitude, respect, kindness and love, will also challenge your conventional views and lead you to greater mindfulness.
Being able to step back from our thought processes is important, according to Rankin (Photo: Adobe Stock)
âPractice non-strivingâ
April DĂĄvila
, writer and mindfulness meditation instructor
I often teach my students about the practice of non-striving. It begins with trusting that a task will get done, and allows for a moment to notice the details of the experience.
For instance, consider washing the dishes. When we begin, thereâs little question as to whether the task will get done. It will.
If, instead of rushing through the job, we allow ourselves to notice the feel of the warm water, the shine of the delicate bubbles, the weight of the flatware, weâre suddenly not just striving to be done â weâre present in the moment.
The task gets completed in the same amount of time and weâre left feeling peaceful and centered instead of haggard and rushed. Apply that outcome to a day full of tasks (from checking emails to making the bed) and it can be a life-changing practice.
Focusing intently on the task at hand can help to cultivate presence, according to DĂĄvila (Photo: Adobe Stock)
âUse your sensesâ
Julia Grässer, yoga teacher and founder of
Warrior Princess Yoga
A great way to become more present is to focus on your senses. Our senses only work in the now. We cannot taste or smell in the past or in the future, only in the present moment.
Focusing on your senses can help to cultivate more presence (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Choose a sense that feels easy accessible to start with. Maybe close your eyes and listen what is around, far and close, or notice the wind or temperature on your skin.
You can become creative here and might be surprised how exciting it is to be fully present with your senses and even start sharpening them. | ||||||||||||
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# How to be more present, according to seven experts
## From using a spice jar to focusing on your senses during everyday tasks, hereâs what the experts say about how to become more present
[](https://humanwindow.com/author/humanwindow-staff/)
[HumanWindow staff](https://humanwindow.com/author/humanwindow-staff/)
Updated on September 17, 2025
Focusing on the present moment can help to reduce stress and anxiety (Photo: Oleksandr Kotenko / depositphotos.com)
Advertisement
### The hectic modern world can make it difficult to stay present.
We often get caught up thinking about the future or the past, and forget that our life always unfolds before us in the ânowâ.
So, what can we do to be more present on a day-to-day basis? We asked a group of experts for their top tips when it comes to being more present. Hereâs what they said.
Advertisement
## âGradually train your mind to inhabit the present momentâ
**Alex Montagu, founder of [The Tranquil Lawyer](https://tranquilawyer.com/)**
Our preoccupations with the past and the future often come at the expense of missing out living in the present. Modern Western society has conditioned most of us in this way of thinking. But the mind can be retrained to create new ways of detaching from the confines of the past and future.
Future and past are purely mental perceptions. Have you ever seen, touched, smelled, or tasted the future? When the future arrives, it becomes the present. As for the past, it only exists in your memory, which is why it is often distorted.
Advertisement
The mind can be retrained to create new ways of detaching from the confines of the past and future, says Montagu (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Mindfulness allows us to repeatedly bring ourselves into the present moment. Training the mind to inhabit the present moment â the only place where reality unfolds â enables you to escape the prison of psychological time.
Mindfulness and meditation are invaluable in helping us navigate through these trying times, but they cannot be achieved in a single day. They require intent and regular practice.
As your mind becomes accustomed to living in the present moment, your inner wisdom begins to shine through â you awaken to your true nature, which is the interconnectedness of all beings.
Advertisement
Here are some tips. Sit down in a quiet place and ask yourself the following questions: where am I? what are my surroundings like? Notice what you see around you, such as the objects in a room or your view through a window. How does my body feel? Do I feel warm, cold or normal? Do I feel any aches or pains? Notice the sensations in your body and how long they last.
Mindfulness and meditation require regular practice, says Montagu (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Am I feeling any emotions right now? Is there anger? Jealousy? Boredom? Restlessness? Excitement? What are my thoughts? Whatâs going through my mind? Try this on a consistent basis, at least once or twice a day.
You can also try mindful breathing meditation. In this meditation, you concentrate your attention on the breath. Breathe in deeply through the stomach. Feel your stomach rise with the inhale while breathing in all the way. Hold it in for a count of 10, then exhale slowly through another count of 10, relaxing your whole body with the exhale. Repeat this nine times.
Advertisement
Make sure your body is not slumped. Bring your full attention to the practice â to the inhale, holding the breath and the exhale.
The present moment is the only place where reality unfolds (Photo: Adobe Stock)
## âFocus on the senses you donât usually pay much attention toâ
**[Connie Habash](https://www.awakeningself.com/), marriage and family therapist, yoga and meditation teacher**
When weâre present, weâre engaged in our senses, in what is happening in the moment, and with ourselves. We can even be present with someone else. In presence, weâre not caught up in the mind â the more we can release thoughts when they arise, the more present we can be.
Advertisement
Presence comes from letting go all of the stories we tell ourselves about the past, the future, and even the narration we give to whatâs happening now. We let go of thinking about it and actually experience it.
One impactful way to become more present is to focus on senses that we donât pay as much attention to, such as touch, smell, and taste.
Presence comes from letting go of the stories we tell ourselves (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Vision is the primary way that most people engage with the world: our eyes dart around to a large degree in response to our thinking state. Shift yourself out of thinking into this moment by engaging those lesser-developed senses through these practices.
Advertisement
**Pick up a spice jar and open it**
Close your eyes and hold it near your nostrils, taking in the fragrance. Contrast different herbs and spices and notice your visceral reactions.
**Make some time to eat mindfully**
Advertisement
Have a little sampler plate of different kinds of tastes: something sweet, something sour, something salty, something bitter, and something spicy. Sit down comfortably, close your eyes, and take just a tiny bit of one of the tastes into your mouth. Feel it, chew it, notice how your tongue responds and what emotions it might invoke.
Engaging with senses other than vision can help to bring you back into the present moment, according to Habash (Photo: Adobe Stock)
**Step outside into a yard, on the sidewalk, a local park, or hiking trail**
Find something that you can touch, such as dewy grass, a railing, a soft petal, or the bark of a tree. Explore different textures with your fingers. Feel what itâs like to lean against a tree, or walk mindfully on the earth. Deeply engage your sense of touch.
Advertisement
**While you are outdoors, explore with your sense of smell**
What is the air like around you? If flowers are blooming, what do they smell like? Does the tree bark have a smell? We willing to explore different scents in your environment.
**Listen deeply**
Advertisement
Again, have a seat and close your eyes, preferably outdoors. What sounds are close to you? What do you hear on the other side of the fence or wall? What are the farthest sounds you can hear? Listen to both natural and unnatural sounds without judgment and intent interest, exploring how much you can hear.
## âFeel the aliveness of your physical bodyâ
**Mahesh Grossman, clinical hypnotherapist and owner of [Berkeley Hypnosis & Pain Management](https://berkeleyhypnosis.com/)**
The opposite of being present is getting lost in our thoughts or our daydreams. Thatâs a kind of a trance, where we arenât completely aware of our surroundings and what weâre doing.
Advertisement
As a hypnotherapist, I have a lot of practice bringing people out of trances, which I need to do at the end of my sessions. Here are two tips.
Firstly, one of the quickest ways to get back to the present is to become aware of your physical body. Take a few seconds to feel the aliveness or inner sensations of your feet, your knees, your hips, your hands, your chest and your forehead. If you want to come back faster, just feel your feet, your hands and your forehead.
Secondly, when youâre stuck in a worry loop, (which keeps you from being present), it helps to switch your focus to the visual parts of the brain, which include the occipital lobe.
Advertisement
One technique I use to help people stop worrying is called the brain wash. In your imagination, unzip your head, take out your brain, and wash it in the kitchen sink. Rinse it off, re-wash any spots you missed, then place it back in your head. As strange as it may sound, this visualisation stops the worry and brings a sense of peace in its place, allowing you to be present instead of stuck in your head.
Becoming aware of your physical body can help to anchor you in the present moment (Photo: Adobe Stock)
## âUse daily tasks to help you stay presentâ
**[Julie Leonard](https://julieleonardcoaching.com/), life coach and speaker**
I recommend choosing some daily tasks and becoming more mindful as you do them. A couple of good examples are brushing your teeth and having a shower.
Advertisement
For example, usually when you are brushing your teeth your thoughts are elsewhere, often thinking about what you are going to be doing next. Instead, in those two minutes, focus on being fully present. Focus solely on the act of brushing your teeth.
Focusing on daily tasks can help you to stay present, according to Leonard (Photo: Adobe Stock)
The action of putting the toothpaste on the brush, smelling the mint fragrance, focusing on each tooth as you brush, becoming aware of the taste and the minty freshness of your breath. Be fully present for the whole two minutes.
## âLearn to disrupt your habitual ways of perceptionâ
**[Howard J. Rankin PhD](https://www.drhowardjrankin.com/), neurologist and author**
Advertisement
Without observation of our consciousness, we will remain painfully unaware of the habitual ways we see the world including ourselves.
By their very nature, habits are automatic and so we can and often go through life with the same lenses and editors shaping our perceptions thoughts and behaviors. Learning to detach ourselves from our usual conscious defenses is therefore critical in understanding ourselves and changing how we see not just our lives but everything we come across.
Rankin suggests that developing a better observation of our consciousness can help to improve our overall presence (Photo: Adobe Stock)
In my book, *I Think Therefore I am Wrong*, I point out the many biases that influence us. We need insight into what they are and how we use them, to change the conventional way we see the world.
Advertisement
Mindfulness and meditation exercises are helpful in getting out of habitual processing and stepping back from our usual lenses.
It is also important that such exercises are not about feeling peaceful for a few minutes a day â they need to be incorporated into daily life so that they disrupt our old habitual ways of perception. Being able to step back from the lenses that have developed over your lifetime and see the world and your consciousness is the basis of wisdom.
The pursuit and adoption of virtues, like humility, gratitude, respect, kindness and love, will also challenge your conventional views and lead you to greater mindfulness.
Advertisement
Being able to step back from our thought processes is important, according to Rankin (Photo: Adobe Stock)
## âPractice non-strivingâ
**[April DĂĄvila](https://aprildavila.com/), writer and mindfulness meditation instructor**
I often teach my students about the practice of non-striving. It begins with trusting that a task will get done, and allows for a moment to notice the details of the experience.
For instance, consider washing the dishes. When we begin, thereâs little question as to whether the task will get done. It will.
Advertisement
If, instead of rushing through the job, we allow ourselves to notice the feel of the warm water, the shine of the delicate bubbles, the weight of the flatware, weâre suddenly not just striving to be done â weâre present in the moment.
The task gets completed in the same amount of time and weâre left feeling peaceful and centered instead of haggard and rushed. Apply that outcome to a day full of tasks (from checking emails to making the bed) and it can be a life-changing practice.
Focusing intently on the task at hand can help to cultivate presence, according to DĂĄvila (Photo: Adobe Stock)
## âUse your sensesâ
**Julia Grässer, yoga teacher and founder of [Warrior Princess Yoga](https://warriorprincessyoga.com/)**
Advertisement
A great way to become more present is to focus on your senses. Our senses only work in the now. We cannot taste or smell in the past or in the future, only in the present moment.
#### Read more
- [How to stop thinking about someone â experts share their tips](https://humanwindow.com/how-to-stop-thinking-about-someone/)
- [The best ways to improve your self-esteem, according to experts](https://humanwindow.com/best-ways-to-improve-self-esteem/)
Focusing on your senses can help to cultivate more presence (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Choose a sense that feels easy accessible to start with. Maybe close your eyes and listen what is around, far and close, or notice the wind or temperature on your skin.
You can become creative here and might be surprised how exciting it is to be fully present with your senses and even start sharpening them.
### Related articles
[ The best ways to improve your self-esteem, according to experts](https://humanwindow.com/best-ways-to-improve-self-esteem/)
[ Grateful vs thankful: whatâs the difference? (6 experts explain)](https://humanwindow.com/grateful-vs-thankful/)
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| Readable Markdown | ### The hectic modern world can make it difficult to stay present.
We often get caught up thinking about the future or the past, and forget that our life always unfolds before us in the ânowâ.
So, what can we do to be more present on a day-to-day basis? We asked a group of experts for their top tips when it comes to being more present. Hereâs what they said.
## âGradually train your mind to inhabit the present momentâ
**Alex Montagu, founder of [The Tranquil Lawyer](https://tranquilawyer.com/)**
Our preoccupations with the past and the future often come at the expense of missing out living in the present. Modern Western society has conditioned most of us in this way of thinking. But the mind can be retrained to create new ways of detaching from the confines of the past and future.
Future and past are purely mental perceptions. Have you ever seen, touched, smelled, or tasted the future? When the future arrives, it becomes the present. As for the past, it only exists in your memory, which is why it is often distorted.
The mind can be retrained to create new ways of detaching from the confines of the past and future, says Montagu (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Mindfulness allows us to repeatedly bring ourselves into the present moment. Training the mind to inhabit the present moment â the only place where reality unfolds â enables you to escape the prison of psychological time.
Mindfulness and meditation are invaluable in helping us navigate through these trying times, but they cannot be achieved in a single day. They require intent and regular practice.
As your mind becomes accustomed to living in the present moment, your inner wisdom begins to shine through â you awaken to your true nature, which is the interconnectedness of all beings.
Here are some tips. Sit down in a quiet place and ask yourself the following questions: where am I? what are my surroundings like? Notice what you see around you, such as the objects in a room or your view through a window. How does my body feel? Do I feel warm, cold or normal? Do I feel any aches or pains? Notice the sensations in your body and how long they last.
Mindfulness and meditation require regular practice, says Montagu (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Am I feeling any emotions right now? Is there anger? Jealousy? Boredom? Restlessness? Excitement? What are my thoughts? Whatâs going through my mind? Try this on a consistent basis, at least once or twice a day.
You can also try mindful breathing meditation. In this meditation, you concentrate your attention on the breath. Breathe in deeply through the stomach. Feel your stomach rise with the inhale while breathing in all the way. Hold it in for a count of 10, then exhale slowly through another count of 10, relaxing your whole body with the exhale. Repeat this nine times.
Make sure your body is not slumped. Bring your full attention to the practice â to the inhale, holding the breath and the exhale.
The present moment is the only place where reality unfolds (Photo: Adobe Stock)
## âFocus on the senses you donât usually pay much attention toâ
**[Connie Habash](https://www.awakeningself.com/), marriage and family therapist, yoga and meditation teacher**
When weâre present, weâre engaged in our senses, in what is happening in the moment, and with ourselves. We can even be present with someone else. In presence, weâre not caught up in the mind â the more we can release thoughts when they arise, the more present we can be.
Presence comes from letting go all of the stories we tell ourselves about the past, the future, and even the narration we give to whatâs happening now. We let go of thinking about it and actually experience it.
One impactful way to become more present is to focus on senses that we donât pay as much attention to, such as touch, smell, and taste.
Presence comes from letting go of the stories we tell ourselves (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Vision is the primary way that most people engage with the world: our eyes dart around to a large degree in response to our thinking state. Shift yourself out of thinking into this moment by engaging those lesser-developed senses through these practices.
**Pick up a spice jar and open it**
Close your eyes and hold it near your nostrils, taking in the fragrance. Contrast different herbs and spices and notice your visceral reactions.
**Make some time to eat mindfully**
Have a little sampler plate of different kinds of tastes: something sweet, something sour, something salty, something bitter, and something spicy. Sit down comfortably, close your eyes, and take just a tiny bit of one of the tastes into your mouth. Feel it, chew it, notice how your tongue responds and what emotions it might invoke.
Engaging with senses other than vision can help to bring you back into the present moment, according to Habash (Photo: Adobe Stock)
**Step outside into a yard, on the sidewalk, a local park, or hiking trail**
Find something that you can touch, such as dewy grass, a railing, a soft petal, or the bark of a tree. Explore different textures with your fingers. Feel what itâs like to lean against a tree, or walk mindfully on the earth. Deeply engage your sense of touch.
**While you are outdoors, explore with your sense of smell**
What is the air like around you? If flowers are blooming, what do they smell like? Does the tree bark have a smell? We willing to explore different scents in your environment.
**Listen deeply**
Again, have a seat and close your eyes, preferably outdoors. What sounds are close to you? What do you hear on the other side of the fence or wall? What are the farthest sounds you can hear? Listen to both natural and unnatural sounds without judgment and intent interest, exploring how much you can hear.
## âFeel the aliveness of your physical bodyâ
**Mahesh Grossman, clinical hypnotherapist and owner of [Berkeley Hypnosis & Pain Management](https://berkeleyhypnosis.com/)**
The opposite of being present is getting lost in our thoughts or our daydreams. Thatâs a kind of a trance, where we arenât completely aware of our surroundings and what weâre doing.
As a hypnotherapist, I have a lot of practice bringing people out of trances, which I need to do at the end of my sessions. Here are two tips.
Firstly, one of the quickest ways to get back to the present is to become aware of your physical body. Take a few seconds to feel the aliveness or inner sensations of your feet, your knees, your hips, your hands, your chest and your forehead. If you want to come back faster, just feel your feet, your hands and your forehead.
Secondly, when youâre stuck in a worry loop, (which keeps you from being present), it helps to switch your focus to the visual parts of the brain, which include the occipital lobe.
One technique I use to help people stop worrying is called the brain wash. In your imagination, unzip your head, take out your brain, and wash it in the kitchen sink. Rinse it off, re-wash any spots you missed, then place it back in your head. As strange as it may sound, this visualisation stops the worry and brings a sense of peace in its place, allowing you to be present instead of stuck in your head.
Becoming aware of your physical body can help to anchor you in the present moment (Photo: Adobe Stock)
## âUse daily tasks to help you stay presentâ
**[Julie Leonard](https://julieleonardcoaching.com/), life coach and speaker**
I recommend choosing some daily tasks and becoming more mindful as you do them. A couple of good examples are brushing your teeth and having a shower.
For example, usually when you are brushing your teeth your thoughts are elsewhere, often thinking about what you are going to be doing next. Instead, in those two minutes, focus on being fully present. Focus solely on the act of brushing your teeth.
Focusing on daily tasks can help you to stay present, according to Leonard (Photo: Adobe Stock)
The action of putting the toothpaste on the brush, smelling the mint fragrance, focusing on each tooth as you brush, becoming aware of the taste and the minty freshness of your breath. Be fully present for the whole two minutes.
## âLearn to disrupt your habitual ways of perceptionâ
**[Howard J. Rankin PhD](https://www.drhowardjrankin.com/), neurologist and author**
Without observation of our consciousness, we will remain painfully unaware of the habitual ways we see the world including ourselves.
By their very nature, habits are automatic and so we can and often go through life with the same lenses and editors shaping our perceptions thoughts and behaviors. Learning to detach ourselves from our usual conscious defenses is therefore critical in understanding ourselves and changing how we see not just our lives but everything we come across.
Rankin suggests that developing a better observation of our consciousness can help to improve our overall presence (Photo: Adobe Stock)
In my book, *I Think Therefore I am Wrong*, I point out the many biases that influence us. We need insight into what they are and how we use them, to change the conventional way we see the world.
Mindfulness and meditation exercises are helpful in getting out of habitual processing and stepping back from our usual lenses.
It is also important that such exercises are not about feeling peaceful for a few minutes a day â they need to be incorporated into daily life so that they disrupt our old habitual ways of perception. Being able to step back from the lenses that have developed over your lifetime and see the world and your consciousness is the basis of wisdom.
The pursuit and adoption of virtues, like humility, gratitude, respect, kindness and love, will also challenge your conventional views and lead you to greater mindfulness.
Being able to step back from our thought processes is important, according to Rankin (Photo: Adobe Stock)
## âPractice non-strivingâ
**[April DĂĄvila](https://aprildavila.com/), writer and mindfulness meditation instructor**
I often teach my students about the practice of non-striving. It begins with trusting that a task will get done, and allows for a moment to notice the details of the experience.
For instance, consider washing the dishes. When we begin, thereâs little question as to whether the task will get done. It will.
If, instead of rushing through the job, we allow ourselves to notice the feel of the warm water, the shine of the delicate bubbles, the weight of the flatware, weâre suddenly not just striving to be done â weâre present in the moment.
The task gets completed in the same amount of time and weâre left feeling peaceful and centered instead of haggard and rushed. Apply that outcome to a day full of tasks (from checking emails to making the bed) and it can be a life-changing practice.
Focusing intently on the task at hand can help to cultivate presence, according to DĂĄvila (Photo: Adobe Stock)
## âUse your sensesâ
**Julia Grässer, yoga teacher and founder of [Warrior Princess Yoga](https://warriorprincessyoga.com/)**
A great way to become more present is to focus on your senses. Our senses only work in the now. We cannot taste or smell in the past or in the future, only in the present moment.
Focusing on your senses can help to cultivate more presence (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Choose a sense that feels easy accessible to start with. Maybe close your eyes and listen what is around, far and close, or notice the wind or temperature on your skin.
You can become creative here and might be surprised how exciting it is to be fully present with your senses and even start sharpening them. | ||||||||||||
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