How to live in the moment and be more present

It’s not always easy to stay connected to the here and now. With competing demands, digital distractions, and an ever-active mind, living in the moment can feel out of reach.

Many people find themselves replaying past conversations or worrying about what’s next, without realising they’ve left the present behind.

But being present isn’t about feeling peaceful all the time or silencing the mind. It’s about noticing where your attention is and learning how to live in the moment, even when life feels chaotic. In the following sections, let’s explore what being present really looks like and why it counts.

Why being in the present matters

Practising mindfulness and being present has been shown to support better mental health. By focusing on the current moment with openness and awareness, people often experience reduced stress, improved emotional regulation, and a stronger ability to manage daily challenges. An international study of individuals from 130 countries found that individuals with higher levels of mindfulness reported significantly lower levels of perceived stress.

Being present can also interrupt unhelpful thinking patterns like worry and rumination. These mental habits tend to keep the mind focused on what might go wrong or what already happened, which can lead to anxiety and distraction.

Learning how to live in the moment helps bring attention back to what’s happening now, making it easier to respond calmly and feel more grounded in everyday life.

Regular mindfulness can be massively helpful to anybody, but especially to those experiencing mental health challenges, such as:

• Generalised anxiety

• Chronic stress or burnout

• Social and performance anxiety

• Postpartum emotional changes

• Health-related worry and uncertainty

How to live in the moment and be more present?

The following practices are helpful entry points for being present. Keep in mind that perfecting them isn’t the goal. Even when being still feels hard, the practice of choosing to return to what’s real, here, and now still counts.

1. Body scans for internal awareness

Body scans help bring attention to physical sensations, making it easier to connect with the body and interrupt mental spirals. Here’s how to try it:

• Sit or lie down comfortably

• Slowly bring your focus from the top of your head to your feet

• Notice any areas of warmth, tension, stillness, or discomfort

• If your attention drifts, gently return to the next part of the body

This practice supports living in the moment by helping you tune into the body’s signals rather than staying lost in your thoughts.

2. Gentle and focused breathing

Your breath is always available, making it one of the most accessible ways to come back to the present. You can try:

• Noticing the rhythm of your breath as it moves in and out

• Counting breaths from one to ten, then starting again

• Placing your hand on your belly and feeling the rise and fall

These practices anchor you to the now and provide a pathway for how to stay in the moment.

3. Grounding techniques for anxious moments

Grounding helps shift your focus from racing thoughts to immediate sensory experience. It’s especially helpful when anxiety makes it hard to stay in the present. Some examples are:

• The 5-4-3-2-1 method using your senses

• Holding a textured object and describing it out loud

• Naming colours, shapes, or objects around you

These grounding tools can remind your mind and body what it feels like to be present, even when you feel triggered or overstimulated.

4. Eating mindfully

Mindful eating turns an everyday task into a practice of living in the moment. Some ways you can bring presence to meals are to:

• Look at your food before eating, noticing its colour and texture

• Chew slowly and pay attention to each bite

• Pause between bites to notice fullness or satisfaction

This approach helps build mindfulness and a deeper connection with simple daily experiences.

5. Reducing digital distractions

Excessive social media use and screentime can keep your attention scattered. But creating small breaks from digital input can help you have a more grounded mind. Consider the following tips:

• Turn off unnecessary notifications

• Set aside device-free times, even for ten minutes

• Replace a screen break with a few deep breaths or a walk outside

These moments create space for being present in real life, instead of being pulled into constant mental noise.

6. Adding mindful pauses to daily routines

You don’t need a quiet room or meditation cushion to practice presence. Everyday moments offer natural pauses where awareness can return. You could try:

• Taking a full breath before replying to a message

• Feeling your feet on the ground while brushing your teeth

• Paying attention to sounds or smells during a walk

Over time, these small shifts support the habit of living in the moment, even when life feels full or too busy.

7. Letting the kids join in 

This one is for the parents. Mindfulness doesn’t need to be a solo activity. In fact, children often respond well to simple, sensory-based practices. Their natural curiosity makes them great candidates for learning how to be present, especially when activities are tailored to their age and attention span.

If you're finding it hard to fit mindfulness into your own routine, sharing the experience with your kids can be a meaningful way to practice together. Try these child-friendly activities:

• Going on a “listening walk” and noticing as many sounds as possible

• Watching glitter settle in a jar as a way to calm the body and focus the mind

• Placing a soft toy on their belly and breathing slowly to watch it rise and fall

• Drawing or colouring slowly, paying attention to the feel of each stroke or movement

These small practices help children tune in to their bodies and emotions, while giving parents a gentle way to come back to the present too.

When being present feels difficult?

There are moments when being present feels out of reach. High stress, anxiety, or past trauma can make stillness uncomfortable or unsettling. In these moments, trying to focus inward may not feel safe, and that’s completely valid.

Rather than pushing through, it can help to shift your attention to something more grounding, even just for a few minutes. Then, allot time to actually face whatever is causing you intense stress and decide on realistic next steps to address it.

If mindfulness often feels distressing, it may be worth speaking with a mental health professional who can support you in finding approaches that feel safe and manageable.