Why Being Present Is an Important Part of Wellness

Why Are We Always Rushing Toward the Next Thing?

And what does that have to do with being present OR wellness?

Have you ever caught yourself thinking...

“Where did the time go?”

Or maybe:

“Dang, time really flies.”

I've been thinking about that a lot lately.

Not because something terrible happened.

Quite the opposite.

I've been thinking about it because life is good.

And yet, sometimes I catch myself rushing through it.

Rushing to the next appointment.

The next task.

The next meal.

The next weekend.

The next vacation.

The next season.

The next goal.

The next version of myself.

And somewhere along the way, I started wondering:

What if we're so busy getting to the next thing that we're missing the moment we're actually in?

We're always being pulled toward "what's next."

I think this is one of the biggest challenges we face today...

We're surrounded by opportunities for instant gratification and constant distraction.

Our phones are always within reach.

There is always another notification.

Another message.

Another video.

Another email.

Another thing to buy.

Another thing to watch.

Another thing to accomplish.

Even when we're technically resting, we're often consuming something.

We're constantly getting tiny little doses of what's next.

I jokingly think of it as micro-dosing the next thing.

We're sitting at dinner, but checking our phone.

We're watching a movie, but scrolling.

We're on vacation, but checking what's happening at home.

We're spending time with our family while mentally running through tomorrow's to-do list.

We're outside enjoying a beautiful evening,

but already thinking about what we need to do when we go back inside.

We're physically present...

but our attention is somewhere else.

And I don't think that's because we're bad at being present.

I think we've simply gotten really good at being distracted.

And then we wonder where the time went.

This is the part that hits me differently now than it did when I was younger.

I'm approaching 50.

And suddenly, the passage of time feels different.

My kids aren't little anymore.

My grandkids are growing up, FAST!!!!

The years seem to move faster and faster.

And I find myself thinking about how easy it is to spend so much of our lives waiting for the next milestone that we don't realize the milestone we're living right now is one we'll eventually wish we could revisit.

That's a hard realization.

But I also think it's an incredibly empowering one!

Because if we're aware of it, we can do something about it.

We don't have to spend the rest of our lives looking backward and wondering where the time went.

We can start practicing being here.

And Now.

Being present is a wellness practice, too.

When we talk about wellness, we tend to talk about the obvious things.

Movement.

Nutrition.

Sleep.

Recovery.

Stress management.

And all of those things truly do matter!

But I believe wellness is also about being able to experience the life that those healthy habits are helping you to create.

What's the point of getting stronger if you're too distracted to enjoy the hike you've become capable of taking?

What's the point of improving your health if you're constantly rushing through dinner with your family?

What's the point of creating more energy if you're always spending that energy worrying about what's next?

Your health isn't supposed to become another item on the list of things you have to accomplish.

That's not productive!

Managing your wellness is supposed to help you live life better.

Sometimes living healthfully means slowing down enough to notice your moments.

I'm not saying we need to throw our phones away.

...Let's be real...

I'm not moving to a cabin in the woods and giving up technology. Although cabin life does sound divine!

But I don't think the answer is to eliminate every distraction from our lives, either.

The world isn't slowing down.

Our responsibilities aren't disappearing.

There will always be emails.

There will always be errands.

There will always be another appointment.

There will always be something that needs our attention.

The goal isn't to escape all of that.

The goal is to become more intentional about where our attention goes.

The idea is to get better at managing the distractions.

Can you put the phone down during dinner?

Can you take a walk without listening to something?

Can you sit outside without needing to document it?

Can you have a conversation without checking the time?

Can you spend an afternoon with your family without mentally planning Monday?

Can you actually taste your food instead of eating while answering emails?

Can you let yourself be bored for a few minutes?

These things sound incredibly simple.

And maybe that's the point.

We don't need another complicated wellness routine.

Sometimes we just need to BE where we are:

Go touch some grass...Literally.

Go outside.

Take the walk.

Sit in the sunshine.

Notice the trees.

Feel the breeze.

Watch your kids or grandkids play. Better yet, play WITH them!

Laugh with your whole belly.

Stay at the dinner table a little longer.

Take the long way home.

Look up from your phone more often.

You don't have to make every moment productive.

You don't have to optimize every experience.

You don't have to document everything.

Some moments can simply belong to you.

I'm learning this firsthand.

I don't have this all figured out.

I'm still catching myself, often!

Still realizing that I'm thinking about tomorrow while today is happening.

Still noticing how quickly a weekend can disappear when I'm already thinking about everything waiting for me when it ends.

But I'm becoming much more intentional about it.

I gave up on building full itineraries on vacation.

I don't (always) spiral when my schedule gets changed.

I only record content on one or two days of the week.

Outside time is quiet time, and I even leave my phone inside, most often!

And honestly?

That's one of the things I want to pass on to my kids and grandkids.

I want them to learn this sooner than I did.

I don't want them to spend their lives believing they'll finally slow down when they get through school.

Or when they get the job.

Or when the kids are older.

Or when they have more money.

Or when they retire.

Or when life finally gets easier.

Because there will likely always be another thing waiting.

And if we're always waiting for the next thing...

we could miss our entire lives.

You don't have to wait for the next season.

This is why I'm not rushing summer out the door just because school is starting.

----The first day of fall isn't until September 21----

So I'm going to enjoy the summer that's still here.

I'm going to spend time with my people.

I'm going to touch as much grass as possible, while it's still green and pretty.

I'm going to make memories by being fully invested DURING.

And when fall arrives, I'll welcome it.

Because there is something beautiful about every season, I can be fully present in this one, and not feel the need to rush into the next season, or holiday, or event...

And maybe that's the real wellness practice I want to encourage you to try this week:

Don't ask yourself, “What do I need to get done next?”

Take one day a week to preview, plot, and schedule.

Every once in a while, ask yourself: “What is happening right now?”

And then... be there for it.

Because you don't have to wait for the next season, the next milestone, the next vacation, the next goal, or the next version of yourself to start LIVING YOUR LIFE BETTER.

You're already in it.

And that life deserves your attention!!!!!

Live Life Better

Coach Heidi 💜

Viva Your Vida Fit