As busy parents, we’re always trying to efficientize our moments. Like checking messages in the supermarket line, squeezing in a podcast while walking a few blocks, chomping down lunch while working and texting and managing the kiddo’s meltdown. We jam it all in. No spare moments here.
But our “to do” list never really shrinks and new things just woosh in to replace all those things we rushed through.
And what are we sacrificing in the name of efficiently getting it all done? For sure, joy is one of the big casualties.
Handily, there’s a simple equation for more joy:
More Presence = More Joy
So how do you get “more present”? What does that even mean, anyway?
Presence is our direct experience of reality. It’s what is actually unfolding in our lives in this moment. Not the stories in our heads, our worries, our memories, our opinions.
And the easiest way to connect back to this direct experience, where joy lives, is through our senses. Why? Because sensory perception can only really be experienced in the present moment.
To activate presence then, tune back into your dominant sense. If you’re eating a meal, slow down a bit and focus on t-a-s-t-ing your food. The experience causes the flavors to come alive!
If you’re in a conversation with someone, tune into your sense of sound by really focusing on the words being spoken and the experience of listening. Try to let go of your opinion of what is being said and your response. Instead, just take it in.
Walking to the shop? Take a real look around. It’s amazing what’s been there all along that we miss because we’re stuffing the moments full of more things.
Where is there an opportunity in your life for greater presence? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
[…] that we can find ourselves stuffing more and more things into a minute. Like we’re efficientizing all of our moments. How else can we get it all done, right? […]