Live Presently
“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift...that is why we call it the present.”
Hi guys. I hope you all are having a good March so far. It’s finally spring here, and I am rejoicing that my seasonal depression is over. One huge thing that helps me deal with my depression is always trying to live presently. Living in the moment, good or bad, makes life so much better. I grow through and acknowledge the bad moments, and I stop to smell the roses during the good ones. It’s all part of something I like to call “The Yelena Philosophy.” So let’s dive right in.
My top tips for living presently:
Use your senses
There’s an exercise that I use during horrible panic attacks. I name 5 things I can see, 4 things I can touch, 3 things I can hear, 2 things I can smell, and 1 thing I can taste.
Being aware and knowing your surroundings can help you be more present in the moment. The moments when I am overthinking are the hardest times to be present. Try this, use the exercise I mentioned above any time you find yourself overthinking about the future or past moment.
Focus on one thing at a time
My brain spirals downward when I try to do too many things at once. Try making a list of tasks you need to do in a day and work on one task at a time. It might be hard to only do one thing, but if you are focused on that thing, you are automatically more in the moment.
Appreciate things as they are (not what you want them to be)
The most powerful phrase you can learn is, “it is what it is.” Some things are entirely out of your control, and “it is what it is.” Don’t focus on how things are what you want them to be but on how they are right now.
For example, I’m not going to lie; my life is pretty dull now. I could spend all my time focusing on what I wish my life was right now, but that will not fix anything for me. Instead, I am focusing on things that will help me get to where I want my life to be. I am working on my craft as an actor, and I am working on getting my driver’s license SO my life will be easier, and I will feel more prepared when my life is where I want it to be.
Be grateful for what you have right now
I cannot begin to express how vital gratitude and not taking things for granted are. I wish my life was “busy” right now, but it’s not. I am learning to be more grateful for the slower pace of life because I’m now able to do things I love, like going to a coffee shop and working on a blog post or YT video or reading a book, or binge-watching TV shows. I know that when my life gets busy and I’m unable to do things for fun, I will miss the slower pace of life. Gratitude is the key to manifestation; if you want to manifest anything, you need to be grateful for what you have.
Right now, I can be grateful for my Starbucks drink not hurting my stomach, for CB-1 calling me this morning, and for Deli Delicious having beer-battered fries. There is always something you can be grateful for.
Don’t plan your life too far ahead
This one is going to sound strange but hear me out. Don’t plan out your life too far ahead. I only plan my week the day before it begins, and I only focus on what I am doing that week and then within each day. Not planning my life out weeks in advance helps me live in the moment because I am focusing on the here and now, not that I have a dental appointment in a week that I’m really nervous about. If I focus on that future thing, I’m not focusing on what I am doing now.
SOS (for the bad days)
So all of my friends know that I am very ✨emotional✨and cry at many things. I find that if I ignore all the negative things, they keep brewing and getting worse. Sometimes being present means feeling all the not-so-pleasant feelings. On TikTok, I learned of this method called 1/24/7 as a way to go through your emotions while validating and getting through it safely. For small things that upset me, I have 1 hour to feel my feelings. I can do whatever I need to during that hour (usually, it’s a Selene Sings and Cries™️ concert). After that, I drink water, wash my face if I need to, and then move on. For something slightly more significant, I have 24 hours to go through my feelings. For the most significant thing, I have 7 days. After that, I am usually okay.
As an example, back in January, I watched Avengers: Endgame. I had only seen it once when it was in theatres, and I didn’t really care about it - Marvel wasn’t my thing back then. Come January, I watched it again (I knew what I was in for), and I was✨emotionally fucked✨I deeply connect with Natasha’s sister Yelena and so watching Endgame was very hard for me and a wrong choice. I was so emotionally messed up from it that I cried about it for three days straight (I gave myself 7 days but was really only super upset for 3 of those 7 days). I went through all the stages of grief during those days.
I hope this post has helped you to live more presently. As always, don’t forget to like this post, leave me a comment and share it with anyone who you think might benefit. Please follow me on social media (linked below), and I’ll see you next time.
