About five years ago, I was standing at a train station with my grandad having one of those ‘where does the time go’ chats. He mentioned to me how he and his work colleagues would power through the week, waiting for Friday to come around so that they could chill out and enjoy themselves. He couldn’t believe how many years had passed since those days.
And frankly, neither can I. It’s been 11 years since I left school. 11! It may not seem a lot to some, but to me that’s massive. The nostalgia I have for ‘the good old days’ is TOO MUCH. I’m approaching my thirties, which is both exhilarating and terrifying. We’re already in May, yet it seems like yesterday we were celebrating New Year.
I doubt I’m speaking for myself here. I’m sure most of you awake on Monday morning after snoozing your alarm 10 times, and begin the ole Friday countdown.
Last Friday night, as I sat down with a steaming bowl of pasta laden with a dangerous amount of cheese, I realised that although I was happy Friday had arrived, I hadn’t really stopped to take in anything during that past week.
It’s so important to slow down, breathe, appreciate your surroundings and be thankful for what you have. A prime example is our new house; I am constantly thinking about the next job that needs to be done instead of thinking how far we’ve come with it and just sitting back and enjoying it.
I know it’s easier said than done, but here are a few things I’ve been doing recently to help me live in the moment…
DisconnectÂ
Turn off my phone and coming away from the fast-paced digital environment does me the world of good. Whether it’s for a few hours or a whole afternoon/evening, it helps me to appreciate what’s around me. I also usually pick up a good book during this digital downtime too!
During my time off work recently, we also went on this lovely picnic which was a perfect opportunity to relax in the great outdoors.
Enjoy meal times
It’s a given that I enjoy my food, but is shovelling it into my mouth while watching a crap telly programme really enjoying it? We now eat dinner at our dining table which means there’s no TV (this has absolutely nothing to do with neither of us wanting to spill even a crumb on the new sofas haha). This works great as it gives us a chance to properly catch up. Who said conversation was dead, eh?!
Focus on happy momentsÂ
I touched on this earlier with the house; instead of always looking to the future and thinking ‘once this is done then I can relax’ I am changing my mindset to appreciating what I’ve achieved, and enjoying what I’ve worked hard for aka the H&M homeware spree that CRIPPLED my purse… but that’s another story!
How do you live in the moment?
Such a great post! I think it’s something that people forget about so often. These are such good tips, I will have to remember them next time I have spare time. Or I’m feeling overwhelmed.
Menna | https://mennarachel.com
Author
Hi Menna,
Thank you so much. It really is, self care is really important isn’t it? I often feel overwhelmed and try and focus on these when I need a bit of down time! x
I love this, I find that when I’m out with my family/ friends, I barely touch my phone and I shouldn’t be constantly checking to see what’s happening in the online world.
Zoe x
zoeoliviablog.co.uk
Author
Hey Zoe. It just shows doesn’t it, we are probably doing things out of habit rather than wanting to spend that much time on social media. It’s so important to switch off for sure! x
As a grandparent I agree wholeheartedly with this post. I can’t believe how fast time passes.Live every moment.
Author
Hi Caroline! Thank you. It certainly does fly by – live every moment indeed! x