One of the core principles of mindfulness is the concept of being in the moment, of being present. This is by no means a new concept, and anyone interested in personal growth since the 60’s would have heard the mantra of being in the moment over and over again.

Sadly, now, many people find this to be a worn out cliché and about as appealing as a handful of raw buckwheat.

This is doing the powerful and effective tool as part of therapy a great disservice.

Let’s look at that in a little more detail:

Someone suffering from anxiety, to any degree, is all about the future. What might happen. What could happen. What if it does? What if it doesn’t? What if I can’t deal with it? The possibilities are endless and can leave you totally paralyzed.

A depressed person will typically spend a great deal of time in the past, going over and over what happened in an infinite loop. I should have. I could have. I would have. Why did I? Why didn’t I? As we can’t change the past, this will leave you defeated and hopeless.

So what if you are neither in the past, nor in the future but right here, right now, in the present? It follows that both depression and anxiety become much harder to maintain. Of course we cannot be in the present all the time, but incorporating the practice in our day-to-day lives goes a long way towards good mental health.

Being in the moment is very much a skill and needs to be learned and practiced like any other. Starting with small easy exercises and building the muscle as time goes on, it will eventually become a steadfast companion for life.

Being mindfully present can be practiced anywhere in any situation, people won’t even know you are doing it. All they will notice is how calm and together you are. And doesn’t everyone want to be calm and together?