Finding Presence in a Hectic World

Have you ever had a fleeting moment in the middle of a hectic day where you really had nothing to do and nowhere to be, and before you could fully savor it, it was gone?

Maybe you spent that time agonizing over a difficult exchange with a coworker, started spinning a doomsday scenario after seeing the news, doom-scrolling on your phone, or lost in a daydream about an upcoming vacation. The mind’s job is to generate thoughts. And that can be tricky.

It often reaches into the past, replaying what happened and trying to make sense of experiences, or projects itself into the future, prematurely feeling all sorts of emotions about outcomes that have not yet happened. Either way, we miss something precious: the unfolding of the moment we are in now.

Here is the big secret that seems way too simple to be true: no matter how stressful the day, peace often exists in the present moment. If we can anchor ourselves there, that unfolding becomes a refuge —a safe space where we can catch our breath, see our situation more clearly, and make conscious choices that help us navigate life with greater ease.

It's simple, but not easy. Here are some ways to make that possible.

5 Simple Ways to Cultivate Presence in Everyday Life

1. Practice pausing for a moment before meals. Take time to prepare yourself to receive the nourishment of food and company, and allow your mind to slow down from a frantic pace. At work, take a minute before lunch to breathe deeply and center yourself rather than checking email.
2. Explore silence. Notice when you have an instinct to turn the music or TV on for background noise and challenge yourself to stay present in the quiet. You may discover the silence is rich with subtle sounds, like the wind rustling through the trees, birds singing, or even the distant hum of office activity.
3. Do just one thing at a time. If you are cooking dinner, cook dinner. If you are having a conversation with a friend, offer your full attention. At work, this could mean giving your full focus to writing a report or participating in a meeting without simultaneously checking emails.
4. Use all your senses. When you are washing the dishes, feel the warm water on your hands, smell the dish soap, and hear the running water. The senses are anchors into the moment we are in. In an office setting, you can practice this by noticing the feel of your keyboard, the sound of your pen on paper, or the aroma of your morning coffee.
5. Set intentions and make reflections. At the beginning of the day, set an intention for yourself. What quality would you like to cultivate today? How do you want to feel at the end of the day: creative, productive, or joyful? What will give your day meaning and purpose? Jot it down or simply think on it. At the end of the day, reflect on your intention and how or if it guided your actions.

Cultivating presence in your life does not require special time or elaborate practices. It is about noticing, pausing, and choosing presence in everyday moments.

My biggest reward for presence is the gift of bringing it to myself so I can better know what I need in each moment, and speak up to make those small adjustments so I can work and live better. And even more special is the gift of my awareness that I bring to others.

Isn’t the full presence and attention of others, especially the people we love, what we’re all seeking? I love having that gift to give. Would you like to have that gift to give too?