6 Tips To Staying "In-The-Moment" For Life's Big Moments

We all know how hard it can be to stay present on the daily.

The real kicker is trying to stay present for those big moments in life. It's like, in those moments, all of a sudden we realize how fleeting life is. We work ourselves up trying to tell ourselves to focus and take it all in, but that anxiety of wanting to stay "in-the-moment" can often make them go by even faster.

I haven't quite cracked the code, I know I've still got a long way to go, but when Tyler popped the question, that was the most present I've ever felt to that point in my life. The tips below are what I found helped me the most. I've been practicing them for the past year now (it's been a bumpy ride so far for sure) but the effects compounded on that day and it was one of the most incredible feelings ever!

It was like unlocking a super power! And the best part? You can do it too!

6 Tips To Staying "In-The-Moment" For Life's Big Moments:

1. Focus on your breathing

Breathing can be tricky - we're always breathing on autopilot. When you start to focus on something that you don't typically focus on, it can be quite jarring. It's almost like your body forgets what to do. After practicing though, it's amazing the control and peace that you can unlock. I've found that closing my eyes and taking a deep breath really helps to center me in a moment. I can't tell you how many times I did that on the big day!

2. Put the technology away

FOMO is real. What's even more real? The life all around you. Put away your phones, computers, tablets, even your smart watches and take in the world around you. Technology is one of the most divisive things in the way to achieving the presence that is needed to take in every moment. One of the biggest things that helped on that big day was not wearing my apple watch, leaving my laptop at home and Tyler and I only taking our phones out to take photos.

3. Use your senses and notice your surroundings

Feel the air on your skin, take in the beauty with your eyes, listen for the sweet symphony of life around you, take a moment to really taste every bite that you take, and remember the smells. By focusing on all of your senses - as opposed to running on autopilot - you're ensuring that you paint a thorough picture of the moment and locking in a more complete memory.

4. Focus on one thing at a time (no multitasking)

This ties into using your senses and focusing on your breathing. By honing in on one thing at a time, you're logging more complete memories. You're also paying more attention to each thing that you do and not worrying about what comes next - all that matters in what's happening at that present moment. The rest all fades away.

5. Accept things as they are, not as you pictured them in your mind

We are constantly setting expectations... and rarely, if ever are they actually coming to fruition in the same manner in which we expect them to. We can only control how we act and react in situations. We cannot control anything outside of ourselves so setting expectations can be a real detriment to fully taking in a moment. Once we let go of any expectations that we have, we can accept and enjoy things as they are, not as we pictured them to be in our minds.

6. Think about everything you are grateful for in that moment

Gratitude is a constant recurring theme in the game of life. It's no different for living in the moment. We're often unhappy either because of things that went wrong in the past or things we are longing for or dreading in the future. Gratitude helps you to unlock the present because it forces you to focus on what you are thankful for in that moment.

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I'm looking forward to unlocking new levels of being present for all of God's greatest blessings and I hope that everyone experiences the power of really living in-the-moment for all of life's big moments.

I hope this helps. Let me know what you think!

Sending love always,

J.S.