Escape Autopilot: Your Roadmap to a More Mindful, Present Life.

My husband scheduled a 5-day trip to help one of our daughters get settled in her new home in Florida. While he was away, I was looking forward to some one-on-one time with another daughter currently living under our roof. However, I learned a few days before that she would be out of town at the same time.

Without any official planning, I found myself at my own solo retreat. Though unexpected, I was excited to have a little time to myself.

If you are a busy Mom or Dad, and an entrepreneur, it is likely a rare day where you get to spend time alone. You may even find it difficult to be by yourself and present – just doing something you enjoy, because there so many things that need to get done…

What’s your relationship with yourself like? Do you ignore your needs and focus on other people’s instead? Or do you criticize yourself constantly? Either way, the lack of self-care can take its toll over time, making you feel overwhelmed, anxious, and depleted.

You can change this self-destructive cycle by scheduling regular time for yourself. Find those times you can have some quiet – even if it’s only for a few minutes. Build this habit by learning how to be present with yourself.

Here are 5 Ways to Practice Being Present:

1. Understand What Being Present Means

When you’re truly present, you have all of your attention in that moment. You feel totally focused on what’s happening right now and connected with yourself and everything around you.

If you’re with your children or a partner, your full attention is on them—you tune out any distractions and truly listen to what they are saying.

Meditation is a helpful technique to learn how to be more present. Using your breath as a guide can help ground you in the moment and get you out of your head. If you would like to go deeper on this subject, check out my blog How to Use Peaceful Meditation to Be More Mindful.

2. Reconnect with Nature

Being in nature is a wonderful way to be present, and crucial for your health and well-being. There are many health benefits of spending time in the great outdoors - including reduced risk of anxiety, depression, heart disease and more.

Multiple studies have linked nature walks with improved mental health. Why wouldn’t you want to do something that is known to lower your stress and brighten your mood?

Walk outside today—even if it’s just around your neighborhood—and notice how much better you feel when you’re immersed in nature (versus urban life). Be in the moment by breathing in the fresh air. Smell the fragrances, notice the colors of the sky and the landscape around you.

If you live in a city with little outdoor space, find a nearby park or trails to go on. Schedule vacations where you can get out and spend as much time as possible in nature – the ocean, the mountains, or the national forests.

3. Create Mental Limits

When you’re overactive and too focused on details, it’s easy to lose sight of your overall goals. By creating mental limits for yourself, you can refocus on what really matters.

For example, if your goal is to stop and think before acting, tell yourself you can only respond after counting down from five in your head or after taking three deep breaths.

If you tend to stretch your boundaries for the sake of others, it may be time to do a self-check. Understand your own limits and set boundaries that keep you grounded in what matters most.

4. Let Go of Distractions

Your life is full, with many responsibilities of work and home. As a high achiever, you may love it that way and not want to let any of it go. It just would be great if it was a little bit easier to manage it all.

With so much on your plate, there are many distractions. And sometimes it can feel like you need to be constantly connected and on call. But you have the power to disconnect from time to time, and it is critical to your well-being.

As mentioned in the beginning of this blog, find some time every day where you can be alone away from distractions, to reconnect with yourself. Even if it’s only for a few minutes a day.

By letting go of distractions, you’ll have time to slow down and tune into your inner thoughts. Take a cue from meditation practices: Focus on a single word or phrase like—be here, right now—and repeat it as you meditate or do yoga.

5. Focus on What's Right in Front of You

In today’s world your life is constantly overstimulated. And when it comes to being more present with yourself, it can be tempting to turn off that overstimulation by tuning out—as in checking out mentally.

The problem is that in tuning out, you miss things that are important to you – happening right now. The best way to practice being present is to focus on what is right in front of you: your partner, your kids, whatever you're doing at work or school.

Tune into conversations and events as they happen; live them rather than watch them pass by like a movie on repeat. With attention, you can catch yourself when you zone out, and tune in to the people you love and the events you want to remember.

Practice Being Mindful Throughout the Day

You may start your day feeling present and centered, but then find you get stressed and scattered as the day goes on.

There are a number of ways you can practice being mindful throughout the day. The main objective is to “be” wherever you are.

This means that you focus only on the task at hand, keeping distractions at bay. Go deeper by checking out my blog on this subject How to Focus on One Thing at a Time.

Here are a few mindful ideas for you to consider:

• When you take a shower, just take a shower. Don’t think of what you have to do next or plan out your day. Instead, enjoy the warmth of the water running over you and give yourself a little massage as you soap over your neck and shoulders.
• When you are on a phone call, be on the phone call. Close out of your email or task at hand and decide to be present and engaged with the person you care about on the other end.
• Be at your yoga or exercise class. Focus on your breath or the specific moves you are doing. When your mind wanders simply bring it back.
• Be present with your family at the dinner table. Savor the tantalizing smells and taste of your food and enjoy the interactions with your family members.
• Watch a sunset. Move away from your devices and get outside. Simply sit and enjoy the last rays of the day.

Being mindful throughout your day comes in time and helps you more deeply appreciate your loved ones, your work, and your one amazing life.