Three Ways to Connect to the Present Moment (Yes, Right Now!)
by Michele Rosenthal on September 19, 2015 in
When you’re caught in the grip of an addiction it’s easy to lose your connection to the present moment. That’s sort of the point of addiction, isn’t it? Something in the present feels uncomfortable, so escaping the present becomes a real motivation for indulging in a craving or what you know all too well is a self-destructive behavior.
Then you start down the road to recovery and suddenly it becomes imperative to learn how to connect to (and, somehow, be comfortable in) the present moment every day. Releasing the addiction means learning to live a new way. Learning to comfortably live in the present moment is a meaningful outcome of this process. When you do, suddenly the world goes from black-and-white to Technicolor. Relationships improve, careers stabilize and you feel better and better about who you are.
Removing addiction, though, can leave you feeling exposed, uncertain and unsure — hardly the time to try something new. And yet it’s the perfect time to learn a new skill that supports healthy living. Taking the first step to learning how to connect to the present moment can seem like an overwhelming task, or one that feels disturbing. First, recognize that emotions, experiences and responses are likely to seem more intense than you’re used to. Reactions like this are normal and natural outcomes of making the shift from the addiction lifestyle to a mode more supportive of your emotional and physical health. Try these three simple daily practices to ease you into present-moment awareness and connection:
Slow down. In our high-tech, super-efficient world it’s easy to feel like you have to speedily make/be/do/create all of the changes you want to see in yourself and your world. That makes every moment pass in a blur. Instead, slow down to notice what time actually feels like. Take the long way to work; walk rather than drive to the store; watch the sunset instead of spending another hour watching your computer screen.
First step: Sit still for 30 seconds. Notice your breathing and your body’s feelings. When it feels comfortable expand this to 60 seconds, then 2 minutes, then 5 minutes.
Be mindful. Addictions are designed to let you check out. Your mind goes on a holiday while your survival-oriented addiction-driven behavior takes over. Reconnecting to the present moment means being aware of the moment you’re in. What’s happening? How do you feel? What makes this moment special, meaningful, noteworthy — or not?
First step: Use your senses to tune into any moment. Notice what you see, hear, taste, smell and physically feel as a way to catalog and imprint the present.
Have fun. Addiction recovery — and reconnecting to the present moment — are serious work. Still, there should be many opportunities to enjoy yourself. In fact, the better you feel the more you heal. And the better you feel the more comfortable and willing you will be to engage in the present moment. When you have fun the present moment connection process actually facilitates itself.
First step: Identify an activity (alone or with others) that makes you laugh, smile or feel free. Schedule time for this weekly if not daily.
Addictions often fuel a need to self-soothe because we want to escape the present. This puts in place a practice of present-moment disconnection that becomes habitual. When the addiction is removed knowing how to healthfully connect to the present moment can be a challenge, but if you implement the three strategies outlined above you can start easing into a process of present-moment-connection that feels comfortable, manageable and under your control.
Michele Rosenthal
Michele Rosenthal is an award-winning PTSD blogger, bestselling and award-nominated author, founder of HealMyPTSD.com, and a former faculty member of the Clinical Development Institute for Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center. She is also a trauma survivor who struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anorexia for over twenty-five years before launching a successful “healing rampage.” Her most recent book is Your Life After Trauma: Powerful Practices to Reclaim Your Identity.
Read more from this expert's blog: Your Life After Trauma