4 Tips to Stay Present When the Present Moment Kind of Sucks
Leaders that can successfully manage their feelings of uncertainty during a pandemic will remain effective when stress runs high.
It seems fitting that just when we were maybe starting to get used to some of the most stressful consequences of a global pandemic (working from home, side hustling as a schoolteacher, seeing your loved ones a little too much…), things would change all over again.
COVID stress has transformed into re-entry stress. Even those who can’t wait to get back to their morning commutes, in-person meetings, and business casual attire may still be anxious about how everything will come together.
Last year was uncertain. This year is uncertain. The future is uncertain. And with all this uncertainty going around, it’s hard to stay focused on the present. In fact, many of us are so worried about what the next few months will bring that it’s trashing our productivity in the here and now.
So, what to do? At Awesome Institute, we preach the importance of continually bringing our minds back to the one thing that helps us deal with anything: the present moment.
When we first tell our clients, busy C-suite leaders and high-level executives, that we want them to work on mindfulness or present-moment awareness, we often get a lot of pushback. Many have tried to meditate or practice yoga, but feel that these things haven’t really made a big difference. Absolutely no one we work with has the time (or desire) to go chant mantras on a mountaintop.
But you don’t have to travel to the Himalayas for a month to find peace in the present moment. It wouldn’t work that well, even if you did. Coping with uncertainty when you’re away from your real life won’t help you the next time you’re on a Zoom call with someone who is seriously stressing you out about the Q3 projections.
What you really need are quick and effective mindfulness exercises that will work at work, at home, and any time you need them. These are our favorite four. They’re perfect for busy people like you because they each take one minute or less to complete. Your overwhelmed, overthinking brain will thank you for taking the time to be fully present for 60 seconds out of the 86,400 we get each day.
1. Feel the body. Plant your feet on the floor, rest your hands by your side or in your lap, press your back into your chair, wiggle your toes. Notice the way your body feels, the space you take up. Remember that you have a body and are living in it right now.
2. Breathe deeply. Breathe in slowly for four counts. Breathe out even slower for eight counts. Repeat. Notice the temperature of the air in and out. For more relaxation, exhale audibly. If you’re in a shared space, do the exercise in silence.
3. Eat mindfully. Take a moment to really experience your food. Smell it, hear the sound it makes as you chew, feel the texture of it in your mouth, taste it. Even if you’re planning to multitask through your meal, pause to practice this exercise for any one-minute period within your eating time.
4. Walk with awareness. Wherever you’re walking, focus on the act of moving forward. Go slow, pay attention to each step, feel the ground beneath your feet. Notice the plants during your journey and really see the color of the sky. Be in the moment Focus on the sensation of being in and moving through the world.
Use these exercises whenever uncertainty makes you feel out of control or any time the stress of the future feels crushing. In one minute or less, you’ll feel better and a little more ready to handle whatever comes your way.
