How many times have you heard the phrase “Live in the moment” ? Maybe so often that it may have lost its substance. But what if a phrase as simple as “in this moment” could help you cope with incredibly stressful moments of life, or deepen your meditation practice?
What are your strategies for coping with feelings of overwhelm or anxiety? For me, “in this moment” has been synonymous to a deep sigh, a comforting hug, or the compassionate ear of a close friend. I suppose in this case, the close friend is me, and I’m turning my attention inward to support my own needs - in that moment.

Cory Muscara, mindfulness coach, speaks on the idea of “just this moment” in his guided meditations as well as his blog. Eckhart Tolle speaks about it in The Power of Now. Neuroscientist Dr Joe Dispenza talks about it in his studies of Neuroplasticity and how we can overcome what holds us back by tapping into the power of the human mind. The reality is “just this moment” is all we have. “Just this moment” is all we need to focus and recenter our minds. I use the mantra “in this moment” repeatedly to help me manage through life’s difficulties. Here are a few ways in which “in this moment” can perhaps, be particularly impactful in your life as well.

A Moment for Practicing Mindfulness

If you are looking to develop a mindfulness practice you may have tried meditation. Meditation is the practice of bringing your mind back to the present moment, of noticing when your thoughts stray and when you’ve gone to a place that’s outside of now. This is a really powerful tool for learning to become much more centered and grounded as opposed to reactive to the circumstances of life. When integrating this phrase into your practice you may choose to silently repeat “just this moment” on an inhale, then mindfully and slowly release on an exhale. This subtle reminder can help you notice if your thoughts have begun to wander off, bringing your attention back to the present. Remembering to come back to just this moment can become a practice that you utilize during as well as outside of, your meditation practice.

Just this Moment for Feelings of Overwhelm

The key here is to focus on precisely the thing that’s immediately in front of you. What is the immediate next step for what’s in front of you right now? Don’t worry about potential risk or failure. Don’t worry about the challenges ahead. Don’t look back into the past at a time where things didn’t go well. Focus on what needs to be accomplished in the present, in just this moment. Let’s say you have a really big project. It’s either really important to you, or potentially high visibility. You know that there are several really big steps that need to be taken, or segments of the project, or goal to take on. While it’s necessary to have a vision for the desired future outcome, that vision is more of a light house. The path that can be most productive is to understand the most immediate next step in front of you. It could be as simple as making a list of resources needed, or questions that you have, or people to connect with. Adjusting focus from the end goal to the present can create a huge shift, and breaking through that sense of overwhelm. All projects and goals are essentially a series of meaningful tasks, and getting really clear on task #1 can shift what is likely really daunting into something significantly more manageable.

For Managing Intense Anxiety

This last tool has been my saving grace on many occasions. I’ve had times where my anxiety can feel debilitating. I literally feel like my mind has been hikacked and my thoughts are beyond my control. When each day seems like a struggle, if I can only focus on what I’m doing in that exact moment it gives me enough grounding to put one foot in front of the other. “In this moment I am just stepping out of bed”. “In this moment I am brushing my teeth, I am fine”. “In this moment I am driving my car, and I am aware and I am safe.” “In this moment I am writing in my journal”. “In this moment, in this moment, in this moment” - you get it. It may seem trivial, but if If you can bring yourself back to the immediate moment in front of you, you can overcome racing thoughts, emotions based around fear, and deep sensations of anxiety. “In this moment” does exactly what it sounds like. It takes you away from the constant reliving of past hurt, or dreaded anticipation of future pain. It brings us back to the present, which is the only space where life is actually happening. I encourage you to give it a try. I’d love to hear how it goes for you.

Wishing you peace and presence.

Namaste.