Your presence in the present

Staying present in your everyday life is a lot easier said than done. It is especially so when you rely on social media and being "plugged in" for your work. But this year I have been trying to have every interaction, every tweet, every Instagram post be meaningful and do them all with intention. That also meant reflecting if I was doing what I was preaching - and I sometimes miserably fail. So as a reminder for not only myself but for all of you, here are my tips on how to pause and just enjoy life.

Unplug from the digital world

This upcoming month I have a mountain getaway with my husband to 'get away' from the busy lifestyle we live. Our phones? Off. Soon we will finally be going on our honeymoon for a week. Our phones? Will be off. We are both addicted to our phones, so I try to spend time away from it and my computer every day. If I see myself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram for too long and notice myself feeling bored (see the next idea for more on feelings), I make myself put my phone away and do something else. I've made it so my phone is hidden away charging in a drawer so I'm not tempted to use it all the time, too.

Feel the feels

What's that you're feeling? I grew up suppressing a lot of emotions, making it harder for me to cope with them at times when they suddenly hit. I know certain triggers (hello, Tom) and largely just let myself "sit with them." In essence, I try not to over-analyze why I'm feeling the way I do. If I feel sad randomly? Well then, I let my husband know I'm feeling down because otherwise he will be very confused as to why his wife is crying (more than normal) about cute puppy videos. I've learned to let go of the mentality that I need to be positive all of the time. Instead, I'm happy to be feeling all the feels!

Reduce your distractions

Start a ritual (or two)

I don't want to live my entire life through a screen, and so I've come up with some ways to keep me from reaching my phone every few minutes. My phone will be on "do not disturb" mode, I turn off app notifications (I hate those red numbers), I try not to use my phone in my bed, and I block certain social media apps through Freedom (this is not a sponsored post, I just love this handy tool).

I have a nighttime ritual I must go through otherwise I won't sleep as well - warm shower, my skin care ritual (to divulge about on another day), have a warm cup of tea (or cold water if it's summer) before I go to bed and then some snuggles with my hubby. It's something that gives me a little bit of peace and quiet every single day. I try to do this without distraction, every day, to wind down.

Let it go...

Take time for yourself

The (catchy) song has a point. Don't get me wrong, I am Type A all the way when it comes to planning, having to-do lists, etc. But often when we plan out every single detail of our days, weeks, and months, we don’t allow ourselves the opportunity to just... enjoy it. I was set to do a bunch of work this weekend and ended up chucking those plans aside and just spending some time with loved ones, reading a book under the sun (it was rainy and cold in Sydney, give me a break), going grocery shopping and just talking without an agenda. While it’s important to plan, it’s also important to be flexible in how you handle your daily life.

Here comes me harping about self-care again. But honestly, if you are constantly on the go and don't take a second to just breathe you're heading for a dangerous zone: the burn-out zone. I've been there and actually gone past it, to the point where I became so depressed and left feeling nothing but emptiness. It came to a head on my 23rd birthday when I didn't want to go out and celebrate - I felt so NUMB and so done with the world that I had to talk to someone professionally about it (no shame in that). Don't get to that point, friends. See the warning signs that you're running on empty and stop to fill 'er up.
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How do you stay present?