They say depression lives in the past, anxiety lives in the future, and the key is to live in the moment. To be present; ultimately providing us peace of mind. Reading through some books on meditation, I’ve learned that being more mindful or practicing mindfulness- can help lead to a happier, calmer lifestyle. In doing so, it increases self-awareness of our thoughts and emotions, the way we communicate with others, as well learning how to be more appreciative of what’s in front of us. It’s all about maximizing our satisfaction of what we’re currently doing. Even if it’s boredom, your time is always precious. This is something I’ve been trying to practice, as to not let the excitement and anticipation of what’s to come, steal time from what I have.

Yesterday for example, while out for a girls spa day (which then turned into a girls night out), I leaned over and told my friend in the most gloomiest way – “And to think we have work tomorrow”. Although true, the statement showed that my thoughts were already focused on the closing of our day, and what was to come tomorrow; taking away from the now. I quickly realized what a downer it was to state the obvious and focused on the joy of what “is”. The fact of the matter was I was off from work and having a great, event-filled day. Work was going to be there waiting for me regardless tomorrow, so why focus on that during my time off?

Looking back it seems so easy to do this, but stressing about tomorrow has always been a nasty little habit of mine.In the moment, the statement actually seemed natural and innocent to me. However, I see now that those are little thoughts that make a big difference in fully acknowledging and appreciating what you currently have. Aiding you to live a more fulfilled life. Alternately, with every slip up I have like this, it as an opportunity to bounce back and better myself just a little more. So here’s to improving self-awareness, and becoming more mindful.