Presence

Presence is when you are grounded in the here and now.

Fully aware of your inner landscape and your outer environment.

It is the opposite of mental time-traveling: either in the past, overwhelmed by rumination, or the future, flooded with worry.

Neither of these mental states is serving your long-term well-being, physical, emotional, or spiritual.

And surely, neither its helping you stay connected to what is unfolding right in front of you, in the present moment.

When you do find yourself time-traveling, simply (re)connect with your breath.

Know that you can always rely on your breath to take you back home, safe and sound.

Slowly count 1-2-3, for an in-breath,

then, count even slower, 1-2-3-4-5, for an out-breath.

Always make your out-breath longer to energise your vagus nerve, signalling your nervous system to calm down.

And repeat, as needed; again, and again.

Until you safely come back from wherever your mind has wandered, to connect to what is here, now.

And from that grounded, calm place, craft a wiser trajectory for yourself.

Let me know how this plays out for you.

You’ve got this! Trust yourself! I trust you!