My guiding word for 2024 is savor. Life has been flying by the past couple of years and I feel like I haven’t taken the time to appreciate it as much as I’d like. Sure, there have been big highlight moments that are easy to be present with, however, I often feel like I allow the day to day minutiae to draw me into busyness.
This year, I want to slow down and smell the flowers more. While that sounds nice, how can we actually achieve that? Read on for some practical tips on how to savor the moment more in our everyday lives.
- Meditate! No surprise here. Having a formal meditation practice is an obvious environment in which to practice being present. The object of meditation is less important than the intention to be present with whatever arises. This practice continues off the mat as we carry that intention with us into everyday life.
- Mindful movement practices such as yoga or Tai Chi can be an extension of our meditation practice if we align our intentions towards presence. Personally, I connect with a strong physical practice in which it’s more difficult for my mind to wander. The demand of the practice pulls me deeply into the present moment and keeps me anchored there. You might find a gentle practice allows you to stay more rooted in the present. When you practice, notice how your mind reacts to it as well as your body. Finally, any physical activity can be done mindfully, but we must make sure that we’re intentional with it.
- Take a few breaths. If you can make time for an extended pranayama or breathwork practice, great! But even ten deep, mindful breaths can help to slow down the busyness of the day so we can savor a few moments to ourselves. You’d be surprised how luxurious this can feel.
- Cut down on screen time. So many of us reach for our devices in any spare moment to stave off boredom, entertain ourselves, connect with others, and a multitude of other reasons. I try and be clear about why I’m reaching for my phone before I do so that I don’t get sucked into scrolling. Also, having my phone set to airplane mode before bedtime and not waking up to notifications has helped me savor my mornings a lot more. If I’m bombarded with things demanding my attention first thing after I wake up, that sets the energetic tone for my day to stress and needing to do, do, do.
- Journaling has been a mainstay of my morning routine for nearly a decade now. I always start with three things I’m grateful for, then flow into free writing. The gratitude of course reminds me to savor the blessings I have. The free writing is just as important because it allows me to process my futurizing, get out my complaints, and get ready for my day. With that done, my mind is freer to be in the moment.
These are just a few techniques that have worked for me and that I’m focusing on this year. There are many others out there that might work for you too. As a reminder, how we spend our days is how we spend our lives. Wouldn’t you like to savor more moments in your life? Of course you do. Put some of these techniques to work, and watch how life slows down and reveals its deeper beauty to you.
