Living in the present moment, with full attention to what you are doing and who is around you, is a very beneficial practice. Yet, it can be difficult to achieve this state if your mind tends to wander into past or future thoughts, which can cause anxiety and stress.
Fortunately, there are several techniques you can use to help reduce stress and anxiety when living in the present moment. Keep reading to discover six simple ways you can get more in touch with your present-moment awareness and start feeling calmer in your life!
1. Practice gratitude
One of the best ways to reduce stress and anxiety is by practicing gratitude. It’s like a muscle that you can build and strengthen.
Gratitude can be practiced in many ways, including writing letters of thanks or counting your blessings each day. Meditation is another great way to cultivate gratitude.
This practice helps you focus on the present moment and release negative emotions like fear, sadness and anger.
It also reduces the stress hormone cortisol and blocks toxic thoughts and feelings such as resentment, envy and depression.
If you find that gratitude isn’t helping you with your anxiety or other mental health problems, talk to a doctor. Mindfulness might be just what you need to ease symptoms and rewire your brain.
2. Practice acceptance
Practicing acceptance is one of the best ways to reduce stress and anxiety. It puts you in the driver’s seat of your emotions, which helps to control your reactions to stressful situations.
It also promotes psychological health by helping you attenuate negative emotion (Campbell-Sills et al., 2006; Singer & Dobson, 2007).
However, there have been relatively few empirical investigations that examine the mechanisms through which habitual acceptance promotes greater psychological health. We aimed to address this limitation by testing whether the link between acceptance and psychological health is robust when controlling for demographic and stress variables.
3. Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is a practice that helps you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings. It is useful for reducing stress and anxiety, as it can help you focus on the present moment.
You can practice mindfulness in a variety of ways. Some of the most effective methods include meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises.
The key is to be patient and allow yourself to practice at your own pace. Start by sitting quietly and paying attention to your breath and any other sensations or thoughts that arise.
You can also use mindfulness techniques while walking or running, or during a favorite hobby or activity. It can take some time for it to become a habit, so you should make it a goal to practice at least once a day, and stick with it.
4. Practice gratitude rampage
Gratitude rampage is an exercise that encourages you to think about the things you’re grateful for. It’s a quick, easy and effective way to practice gratitude.
The practice of gratitude is known to reduce stress and anxiety. It’s also believed to lead to other benefits, including increased happiness and a healthier outlook on life.
It’s also linked to positive outcomes like improved self-esteem and greater social support, according to research published in Psychological Science.
A gratitude rampage is simple and easy to do, and can be done anywhere – at work, when you’re on a walk, during meditation, as you fall asleep, etc. By practicing gratitude, you shift your point of resonance and create a vibrational change that attracts more things to be thankful for.
5. Practice yoga
Practicing yoga, or an exercise that emphasizes stretching and movement, can be an effective way to relieve stress. It also helps to promote general health by reducing muscle tension and pain.
The breathing exercises and meditation techniques included in many yoga classes can be beneficial for anxiety disorders.
Aside from the physical benefits of yoga, there are social benefits to doing it with other people. Acting in unison with others, a phenomenon known as synchrony, can increase social bonds and foster a sense of collectivism.
There are a number of different yoga styles to choose from, so it’s important to find one that meets your needs. Look for a class that’s described as gentle, restorative or mindful.
