Why it’s so hard to live in the moment

It is easy to feel like time has flown by after the holidays. It could be that you had a hectic holiday season that took over or that there were too many stressors to allow you to feel fully present. Regardless of your stress level or work schedule, it is possible to be present.

Why is it so hard to do something that seems easy? Living in the moment is supposed to be organic. It is not.

Being present in daily life can be equated with mindfulness. This definition is often used in research and highlights the difficulties of being present. Being present requires that you recognize the moment as it is. It’s not an easy balance to find.

Although there are many reasons why the perfect balance of mindfulness and mindlessness can be so difficult to find, you probably can relate at least to one of these.

• You don’t like slowing down or allowing your mind to take a break from productivity and planning ahead
• Allow small things to feel larger than they really are, and you will allow them to consume more mental energy that they deserve.
• Predicting the end of a “good moment” before it is over can make you lose sight of the moment.

The purposeful aspect of mindfulness is about controlling the emotions that can lead to any of the above reasons. Contrary to popular belief mindfulness does not mean being organized or doing only what you love. A study has shown that mindfulness can be increased by increasing awareness of the stressful events (Nezlek and al., 2016).

Instead, being present means not looking for the best time to appreciate the moment, like on vacation or during holidays, but rather seeking out the imperfect moments and acknowledging them. You have to practice it, but it is possible with any good habit.

You can make yourself more present by practicing mindfulness. Research has shown that mindfulness activities, such as meditation and journaling, can help you to be more present and mindful in every moment (Xia et.al., 2019).

As we age, we learn the unpleasant truth that most of our lives are occupied by routines and other confining responsibilities. We are constantly confronted with moments we don’t want to experience, and the good ones are scattered so sparsely, that we wish that we could grab them instead of letting them pass us by.

Instead of waiting for a rare moment of joy to strike, let your mindfulness become rusty and allow yourself to enjoy every moment.

You might find the perfect moments during holidays by waiting to be present and living in the moment. It’s not supposed to be the reward at the end a hectic week, or when all your responsibilities seem to magically disappear for the day.

You can choose to be present by choosing to be mindful, even if you would rather keep your head in the sand. It’s the daily decision to look around and make your life purposeful, in whatever form that may take.