3 Ways To Stay Present
3 Ways To Stay Present | By Brittany Barnum
I am constantly moving. Even when my body is still, my mind is running. I work full-time, have two kids, am married, and strive to maintain a clean space for our family and still have a life outside of all of that. I desire deep connections with those around me, yet I frequently feel like there are not enough hours to do it all. Most days, I find myself in the tension of the expectations society puts on me (and, to be honest, the expectations I put on me) to prioritize everyone else above myself and the desire to have deep connections outside my responsibilities.
I've noticed that when I am overwhelmed and don't feel like I have space or time to focus on my feelings, I pretend everything is fine and block out all my emotions. I have never realized all that I miss out on when I choose to keep those around me at arm's length.
In this season, God is showing me the power of being present. Being present means, I'm engaged in the here and now and not distracted in thought. When I was growing up, I didn't see many present adults. I saw adults numbing their feelings with addictions and work. If I am honest, staying present isn't natural for me; it is something I have to fight to be. Escaping to a place where my emotions have no space is what trauma has taught me. God is teaching me to break those chains of trauma by staying present. While I discover with God the beauty of staying in the moment, here are three things I'm learning:
Prioritize time with God - Time with God is a must, no matter how busy I am. Starting my day with God gives me the strength to keep the lies trauma tells me at bay with the truth of who God is and what He has for me.
Eliminate distractions - Distractions can be many things; what I mean is the things that keep you from staying in the moments happening around you. For me, it's social media and TV. Those things allow me to go from the here and now to whatever is happening on the screen. I have drastically cut back on all screen time to stay present.
Engage with others - Connection with others forces me into the moment I'm living. When I am intentional with interacting with those around me, it gives me space to feel my own emotions simply by holding space for others.
The journey of staying present is exactly that, a journey. I learn new things daily about this, always trying different ways to engage in every moment during the day. The only thing I know to be true about this process for me is that it's impossible without God.
What have you learned about staying present in your own life?