Right Here, Right Now

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Does your mind ever wander? Of course, it does, you are a human being with a busy brain! It can be a glorious thing to let our minds wander, but it can also cause us to not be present in the moment.

A client shared that when she’s playing trains with her son, she thinks about all she should be doing instead. Then her son senses her distance and rising stress. He then gets frustrated with her and says, “Mommy! You’re not playing!” She tries to re-focus, but can’t seem to stop her wandering mind. I think we can all relate to her in some way.

There’s the spouse we aren’t listening to, the show we have to rewind, the page we read again and again. We are very distracted human beings in 2022.

Here is a practice for us all to try this week: return to the present moment by saying to yourself, “right here, right now.” Here are some examples:

  • Right here, right now, I am drinking my coffee.

  • Right here, right now, I am brushing my teeth.

  • Right here, right now, I am noticing the water in my shower.

  • Right here, right now, I am eating this meal.

  • Right here, right now, I am driving on this road.

  • Right here, right now, I am sitting in this meeting.

  • Right here, right now, I am at this table with these people.

  • Right here, right now, I notice my heart beating.

  • Right here, right now, I am playing trains with my son.

  • Right here, right now, I am fully listening to this person.

  • Right here, right now, I am noticing my breath go in and out.

As busy human beings, our minds and our bodies are often separated. Our body is in one place and our mind is in another. These beautiful brains of ours are hard wired to keep us safe and they are really good at thinking ahead. However, in our noisy society, we have to help our brains feel safe and turn off the alarm system. Technology has evolved much faster than the human brain. At this point in human evolution, we have to be very intentional about helping our brains find peace, that is why mindfulness practices have skyrocketed in popularity. We are longing for tools to bring peace to our busy minds.

Mindfulness practices (like this one of being aware of your drifting mind and returning to the present moment) have been clinically shown to reduce heart disease, improve memory function, improve immune system responses, and increase brain health. I notice that I am much more peaceful when I am practicing “right here, right now” throughout my day. I feel like I listen more carefully, think more clearly, and react more thoughtfully when I am intentional about staying in the present moment.

 Right here, right now I am sending you love and peace.

 

P.S. This tool always makes me smile because the Jesus Jones’ song titled “Right Here Right Now” was a college anthem for me in the early 90s. Here is a little nostalgia for you today.