Authentic and Mindful Living Therapy
Mindfulness and Being Present in the Moment
Being mindful can increase mental and emotional well-being.
Have you ever heard the saying “don’t let the future steal your present?” This statement is very powerful. Many of us could benefit from following this mantra as it teaches the importance of mindfulness. If you have never heard of mindfulness before, it is the practice of being present in the moment (it is also the core of meditation practices and something one must master in order to become truly skilled at meditation).
I work on teaching many of my patients how to be more mindful, which inherently means learning and practicing how to be [more] present in the moment. The benefits of this type of mental lifestyle are plentiful. Those who live in the moment tend to be happier, calmer and more relaxed, and appreciative. Mindfulness can also increase your ability to be in tune with your thoughts, emotions, and body sensations, which allows you to work with these human factors and communicate how you are thinking and feeling to both yourself and others.
I often tell my patients that depression lives in the past and anxiety lives in the future. Alternately, calmness and peace of mind live in the present.
One of the treatments that I frequently use in my work with patients, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), really focuses on mindfulness as one of its key components. Mindfulness is included for multiple reasons, including increasing self-awareness and learning how to be focused and fulfilled in the moment. In fact, one of the premises taught in this treatment under the mindfulness approach is about letting your mind steal time from you.
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