Hi guys and welcome to another post about mindfulness! Today's post might seem a bit contradictory compared to my organizing post I've posted earlier, but they do complement each other. Being mindful and being present is the only way to enjoy life to the fullest. By being mindful you give yourself the opportunity to enjoy each and every moment so much more, whether it's eating a nice meal, spending time with friends or family, going for a walk in the forest, and so on. Even doing the dishes can be enjoyed if only you can master your mind to live in the present. Let's briefly talk about how our minds tend to forget to live in the moment and then let's see what we can do to convert this habit to something good!


 The future. Don't you find yourself thinking about events in the future quite regularly? Whether it's about what you want to have for dinner later today, what you're gonna wear tomorrow, which Christmas presents to buy, how many children you want or where you want to be living in five years. Oh well, I catch myself thinking about such things ALL the freakin' time... And of course, it's not necessarily a bad thing, because we do need to think about our future from time to time. The problem is just that we often are so obsessed with these thoughts that we forget to live in the present, in the now. And by doing so, we often forget to enjoy life as it is, whilst it's slowly passing us by. We often miss out on the joys of the present because we are too busy planning our futures.

The past. Besides daydreaming about the future, we also tend to hold on to experiences from the past, whether they are fears or loveable memories. Of course, our past is a part of who we are. We would have never been the person we are now if it hadn't been for our past experiences. Whether these experiences were good or bad, they made us who we are. I like to see the challenges I've had in life (and many to come) as lessons. Each obstacle we've faced in our life has taught us something, sometimes something big, sometimes something very small. Anyhow, these challenges were obstacles once, but they are not anymore. Just try to look back at your challenges and obstacles in life. If only you are willing to see it, you can see the lessons they have taught you. They have brought you exactly where you are now and turned you into the wonderful person you are today. And now it's time to let go of them. They have done their job and there will be new challenges coming your way all the time, throughout your entire life. Because life is a never-ending circle of learning. Learning who you truly are and learning to love yourself for who you truly are. 

Tips & Tricks for living in the moment: 

1. Change your routines. We tend to follow the same routines over and over again. Try to switch it up a little bit. Instead of taking a shower as soon as you wake up, sit for some time, drink your coffee or tea and maybe read a book, or simply just sit and enjoy your cuppa'. By switching up your routines, your body and mind have to adapt to the circumstances, which consequently means you will be more focused and therefore you will be more in the present. 
2. Focus on the now. Make sure you are focused on what you're doing right now. Get rid of all the distractions. Turn the TV off, close your laptop and put your phone on silent so you can fully enjoy whatever it is you're doing. 
3. Enjoy the little things. Sadly we tend to forget this a lot. Just take a look around you and enjoy whatever it is you're seeing. Maybe it's the colors of the trees outside during this time of the year, or perhaps it's the rays of sunshine coming through your window. Whatever it is, enjoy the little things in life and be grateful for those little moments - always. 
4. Gratitude. Stop and think for a second about what you have in life. There will always be people who live a better, richer, or happier life than you. But don't forget that in the eyes of so many other people, you are that person, the one who is more fortunate. Be thankful for the life you live and show your gratitude by thanking the universe whenever you feel like it.
5. Be happy. Stop worrying about things and try to see the good in them. Try to see a way to solve your problems instead of letting them bring you down. Be grateful for the lessons you're being taught. Stop worrying about the past, it's gone. And stop worrying about the future, because every second you waste on worrying about the future, is another second lost from the present. Make sure to live in the moment and enjoy it to the fullest. Be happy. Smile, at yourself and at strangers. 
6. Use your senses. Listen, see, feel, smell, touch, and taste. By using your senses, you make yourself more aware of what is actually going on around you. It will make it so much easier for you to focus on the present. 
7. Focus on your breathing. This is one of the most important tools when it comes to yoga and meditation since it really helps you focus on the present more than anything else. It will also help your mind from drifting away to all of those thoughts about the past and the future. 
8. Meditate. So, these last two are very related, but meditation is really all about controlling your mind. It's impossible not to get any thoughts coming into your mind while meditating, but the key to meditation and, thus, living in the moment, is to recognize that there is a thought coming into your mind and to simply send it back to where it came from. 

I hope these tips and tricks will be of help for you guys, too, since they definitely help me to be more mindful throughout the day! It's not an easy process, but it's definitely worth it because once you're able to fully live in the moment, you can truly enjoy your life♥

LOVE, Michelle