Being completely absorbed in the moment

So much of the stress that we experience has to do with our minds being in too many places at the same time. 

When you have a strong presence you are completely absorbed in the moment and the people you are with sense that you are truly “right there” with them, fully present. Your mind isn’t drifting somewhere else. Instead, you are focused on what’s going on and you are truly listening to what is being said. All of your energy is focused on the person who is talking to you.

Being present eases our stress because our minds are drawn back to this particular moment, fully attentive to the task at hand. We begin to operate at an optimal mental pace with near perfect concentration. Although we are working smarter and more effectively, we become calmer and more relaxed.

Our stress is further reduced because of the increased enjoyment we experience. It’s difficult to experience genuine satisfaction when your mind is too busy, scattered here and there, thinking about three or four things at once.

Yet when your mind is focused, when you are fully present and engaged, your world comes alive. Every day, ordinary experiences are seen in a new light.

A low mood is not the time to analyze your life

In low moods we lose our perspective and everything seems urgent. We completely forget that when we are in a good mood, everything seems so much better. We experience the identical circumstances – who we are married to, where we work, the car we drive, our potential, our childhood – entirely differently, depending on our mood! 

When we are low, rather than blaming our mood as would be appropriate, we instead tend to feel that our whole life is wrong. It’s almost as if we actually believe that our lives have fallen apart in the past hour or two.

The truth is, life is almost never as bad as it seems when you’re in a low mood. Rather than staying stuck in a bad temper, convinced you are seeing life realistically, you can learn to question your judgment. Remind yourself, “of course I’m feeling defensive (or angry, frustrated, stressed, depressed); I’m in a bad mood. I always feel negative when I’m low”. 

When you’re in an ill mood, learn to pass it off as simply that: an unavoidable human condition that will pass with time, if you leave it alone. A low mood is not the time to analyze your life. To do so is emotional suicide. If you have a legitimate problem, it will still be there when your state of mind improves. 

The trick is to be grateful for our good moods and graceful in our low moods not taking them too seriously. 

The next time you feel low, for whatever reason, remind yourself, “This too shall pass.” It will.