How to live in the moment

      Heading into work today after a great Thanksgiving weekend, I stopped to think about what made it so great. I realized that not once did I worry about my inbox, my voicemail, my week ahead. I just enjoyed the now. In the age of distraction, that wasn't easy.

         If you struggle with living in the moment while trying to balance work and life, an article in December's Psychology Today is a must read. Paying attention to the present is going to get especially tricky in the next month. If you are at work, worrying about your holiday shopping or go on a winter vacation only to worry about the work piling up at the office, here are a six steps from the article for living in the moment:

• Focus on your immediate experience without thinking too hard about what you are doing. (Like dancing without worrying about how you look) Focus less on what's going on in your mind and more on what's going on in the room to reduce self-consciousness.
• Savor what you enjoy and usually hurry through -- a easting a pastry, taking a shower, listening to music.
• Being in the moment makes people less aggressive. There's no better way to bring  yourself into the present moment than to focus on your breathing. Once you are mindful and in the moment, you will react differently, respond more thoughtfully.
• Set a goal that's challenging but not unattainable.  Set up the task so you receive immediate feedback ( a pianist knows instantly when she's played the wrong note)
• If something is bothering you, move toward it rather than away from it. The mind's natural tendency when facing pain or hurt feelings is to attempt to avoid it, but that only magnifies the pain. Embrace the feeling and set goals for the future.
• Develop the habit of noticing new things in whatever situation you're in.
• You can become mindful at any moment just by paying attention to your immediate experience.

      Do you find your mind wondering/racing constantly? Do you think you would be happier, more balanced, if  you could live more in the moment? What are your biggest obstacles to living in the now?