Varalika Mishra
With an end to 2024, a new year brings several emotions alongside. With new hopes and aspirations, people tend to set goals for the new year. There is a list of new year resolutions and some freshness in the air. On the other hand, some people do not feel anything about the start of a new year, it gives them the same sense of feeling as the previous year.
In such a scenario, it is essential to understand the importance of being present in the moment. By being mindful and conscious each day, there is a sense of joy and purpose. Life is experienced more closely when we consciously try to be present in the moment. Being mindful means giving our full attention to the present moment, being fully absorbed in it.
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Some ways to be fully absorbed in the moment are:
1) Wake up with a fresh mindset: Setting an intention for the day early in the morning can be helpful in staying mindful.
2) Take one day at a time: Rather than thinking about the future and feeling uncertain, taking each day as it comes can make things easier.
3) Focus on what you can control: By keeping our thoughts on things that one can control, it helps in handling situations.
4) Breathe: Conscious breathing can help the mind and body to relax.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), research suggests that, despite not being fully understood, the benefits of mindfulness come from its ability to help us “dial down the body’s response to stress”.
“Mindfulness is like tuning a musical instrument. When life feels chaotic, it is easy to play out of sync, creating noise instead of harmony. But, when you pause and pay attention, you adjust the softening tension, finding balance and re-discovering your rhythm. With each mindful moment, you bring yourself closer to life that feels in tune where your choices resonate with care for oneself.
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It helps one stay grounded by giving oneself a moment to breathe before reaching to what's going on inside one's mind. Instead of getting swept away by emotions or thoughts, one learns to notice them, acknowledge them and gently choose how to respond. It then creates a little space between the chaos and the calm, allowing one to understand themselves in a better way. Alongside, trusting that mindfulness practice might take time, and on that journey one is embracing the messy parts in oneself as well,” says Sanchita Johri, Psychotherapist.
Hence, it is crucial to appreciate every moment and be easy on oneself. By consciously practicing to be present in the moment, one can fully be immersed in the present moment. “The past has no power over the present moment,” says Eckhart Tolle, Spiritual Teacher, Author.
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