I wrote a lot on how to be more present, but what does it really mean to be present? How do we know when we are actually present? When we are actually, 100 percent alert and intentional about everything we do?

Due to a number of significant stressors, it has been several years since I was fully present. Even when I thought I was, I was on autopilot. Even when I thought I was intentional and in control of my life, my focus was actually a distraction from bigger things in life rather than truly being aware of how my life was. For example, I thought I was doing okay but my husband knew I was semi depressed. I thought I was focusing on enjoying my life but really I was using food as a distraction. And I know it now since the tastiest food, whether from an amazing restaurant or my favourite meal would produce exactly 0.2 percent excitement and enjoyment in me. There are different ways to deal with stress and I use the one to distract myself with food and online shopping.

Only recently I have started waking up from many years of my “coma” and look around. As I started doing yoga, I started feeling better within and began to really observe how my life is going.

Here are some things to pay attention at to ensure you are really present and intentional with your life:

• What you eat. I am the first one to grab salads at the supermarket that myseriously transition into muffins by end of the week! While watching TV really takes away the control of how much I eat, being intentional about what I eat does require a lot of focus, especially if you are sleep deprived and constantly looking after others (my baby, my dogs, my cat, my husband). Start asking yourself if a healthy person (e.g. a celebrity) would eat that if they had a choice. Having sugary snacks at home without a pause also prevents me from being intentional – currently in the process of replacing them with fruit and nuts. Maybe only dark chocolate gets through
• What you read. Since Covid I went back to reading all the news and most of them are negative. I focus on surrounding myself only with positive information or information I enjoy – whether it is the books, accounts I follow or subsribe to. I can spend 10 minutes learning more about wars going on or I can spend the same time learning how to be more confident, eat healthier or think differently.
• Who you surround yourself with. I try to maximize my communication with people I actually like rather than having to communicate wih people just because I feel bad.
• Your environment. I have a lot of dead zones at home – where things pile up and I stop seeing the zone and operate as my room got smaller. But really it is the dead zone that keeps my energy and makes me upset. Pay attention and get rid of them!
• How I dress. What it supposed to look vs when I receive the item is one thing. But the feeling I project into the world when I put it on is something different. For example, I wanted cotton pants for the summer. Feeling insecure about my weight, I got them in black colour. They were also very spacious. When I received them and put them on, they made me look twice bigger than how I actually look. Being mindful how the look comes across helps me see how I might be perceived. I am actually returning these pants 🙂
• How much you move and excercise. Whether it is just walking or doing anything, pay attention how much you do it and try to maximize opportunities to move more. First there was covid then I was pregnant so it has been several years since I have been active the way I was active in my early 20s. Walking outside also so good for your mental health. And it helps me sleep better
• Your finances – where does your spending go the most? In my case, half of it goes into apperance related categories while the other half goes towards food. Definitely seeing the issue now 🙂