I just got done putting a batch of apples in my slow cooker. For the past week, I’ve been thinking about how delicious they’d taste on my Greek yogurt… warm, cinnamon-dusted apples melting into cool creaminess. But I just couldn’t get myself to do the simple, physical work of walking to the store, choosing the apples, chopping them up, and tossing them into the pot. It’s something small and seemingly easy when you really think about it, and yet my mind had turned it into a monstrous task.
Today, I realized I’d been living in my head, spinning a little drama that had kept me from something I genuinely wanted. But in the present moment, there actually is no drama. Just me, strolling to the grocery store, wandering through the fruit aisle in search of the juiciest apples. Five minutes of chopping, each slice offering the satisfying sound of a crisp crunch. The sweet scent of cinnamon wafting through the air. A drizzle of coconut oil. And then, a few hours of letting my apartment slowly fill with the delicious aroma of spiced apples.
It reminded me that the quality of your life really is dictated by the quality of your presence. If you want to experience more joy, more peace, more meaning then you have to learn how to be more present in your everyday life.
It’s easy to count ourselves out when we hear about people living slow and joyful lives. “Must be nice,” we think, while juggling work, emails, and endless to-do lists. But the secret to joy is not about the pace of your workday, but the pace of your spirit. That deep stillness within. Are you in tune with life, anchored to the present moment? Are you living intentionally? Or do you find yourself reaching the end of the day wondering, Where did it all go?
When we learn to sink into the now, even the most ordinary moments like getting out of bed, driving to work, or making dinner can become meaningful. When we’re rooted in presence, we stop resisting life and start enjoying it. We stop overthinking and start simply being. No unnecessary stress. No internal chaos. Just one foot in front of the other, moving through life with more presence, grace, joy, and attention.
What Does It Mean to Be More Present?
To be more present means to be deeply aware of life in the very moment of Now, as Eckhart Tolle would say. It’s not just a poetic idea, it’s a lived experience. It means being fully in your body, awake to sensation, aware of the sounds, tastes, smells, sights, and textures surrounding you. It’s a moment where nothing is missing because you’re actually here for it.
Being present is feeling connected to your inner body. Reconnecting with yourself. It’s an intangible, but unmistakable, sense that you are part of everything. You’re right here and now belongs to you. When you’re present, you think on purpose which means functionally, clearly, cleanly. There’s no mind clutter, no anxious spirals or obsessive replays. Just thought that serves you. Thought that supports action or clarity, not stress. Because in the present moment, there really are no problems. Only situations, steps to take, moments to live.
That means presence is a pathway to peace. Actually, it is peace. Presence and peace are two sides of the same coin, as Osho would say. It’s when the mind relaxes so deeply that even labels start to dissolve. You stop naming and judging everything, and instead, you just experience. You’re walking down the street, not rushing through it. You feel the late afternoon breeze, hear the laughter of kids playing at the park, smell fresh espresso from the café on the corner. Life becomes richer because you’re finally paying attention.
Related: How to Romanticize Your Life: 7 Daily Rituals to Make Life Magical
Why Is It So Hard to Stay Present?
Because we have minds. And our minds are designed to protect us. They’re constantly scanning for danger, ruminating on the past, and solving future problems, real or imagined. For most of us, presence is hard simply because we’re living in a nonstop mental swirl that pulls us out of the here and now.
Many of us haven’t yet realized that our minds weren’t built for peace and joy, they were built for survival. And even when we do understand that, many of us haven’t developed the ability to turn our thoughts off and on at will. We haven’t learned how to think on purpose. Instead we let the mind keep spinning, cluttered with judgments, stories, and worries.
We end up consumed by things that haven’t happened yet. Caught up in old conversations. Playing out situations that don’t even exist. And all the while, we miss the moment that’s right in front of us, in all its peace, beauty, and magic.
Even for those of us who have experienced the joy of being deeply present, who’ve tasted the joy of being fully here, it’s not a one-time destination. It’s a daily, moment-by-moment practice to not let our thoughts run away with us. Something you have to return to, again and again.
Funnily enough, I notice I often lose my presence when I start thinking about time itself. The time it’ll take me to do something. The time it’s already taken. The time I think I have “left.” Every week, when I sit down to write my blog post, there’s a jolt of anxiety. How long is this going to take me? Is it worth the time? Sometimes I start spiraling into thoughts about how much of my life has already passed, how fast it’s all going, how it could be over at any moment.
Ironically, these thoughts about time are what rob me of time, because they block my creativity and steal the joy of the task itself. Even with all the work I’ve done to slow down, be present, and live intentionally, I still get swept up by waves of thought that cloud my connection to the moment. But presence is forgiving, so I always get to return. And I do, time and time again.
How to Come Back to the Present: 3 Simple Steps I Take To Return to Now
Being more present isn’t just the secret to a more joyful life, it’s also the secret to a more productive and creative one. When my mind is cluttered, even the simplest tasks feel heavy. I procrastinate, spin in circles, overanalyze everything, or power through things that end up taking twice as long and feeling half as inspired. Presence brings clarity. It brings momentum. The moment I leave the Now, everything feels harder. So whenever I notice that my mind has gone rogue, I return to these three simple steps.
1. Stop: Escape the Spiral of Overthinking and Anxiety
Last month, I wrote a post on slow thinking. I was excited to dive into this inspired topic on how to calm your mind and think clearly. I brushed my teeth, threw on clothes, and started heading out the door. Thoughts were racing, ideas swirling, stories forming. I was already mentally halfway through the blog post, feeling a bit desperate to get my thoughts onto the screen.
In my rush, I skipped my usual slow morning routine and made a beeline for the coffee shop that opens at 7am. But as I grabbed my keys and stepped toward the door, something in me paused. I took a deep breath and said aloud, “Slow down, Candis. Moving this fast never feels good or ends well.”
Sometimes we have to interrupt ourselves. The spinning thoughts, the frenzied energy, the unconscious momentum. We need to actually stop and remember that presence is a choice. Pausing creates a small but powerful opening, one where we can choose peace instead of panic, groundedness instead of frenzy. It’s not always easy, but it is always possible. And that small pause can change the entire trajectory of a moment.
2. Feel: Reconnect with My Body and Inner Wisdom
One of the most powerful tools I discovered during my slow year was the practice of simply being with my body. That year ended in divorce and the total unraveling of the life I had known. And yet, I moved through it all with presence and grace, because I let myself feel. I didn’t bypass my experience with positivity or busy-ness. I anchored into my body.
These days, whenever I notice myself getting swept up in thoughts that feel heavy or unhelpful I pause for a sensory reset. I look around and notice the soft blue hues of the sky, the shape of the leaves on my rubber tree. I tune into the hum of the fridge or the sound of a car passing by. I feel the warmth of my coffee mug, the fabric of the couch against my legs, the motion of my ankles as I roll them in slow circles. I inhale the scent of my favorite cake-flavored candle. I taste a slice of mandarin or take a sip of cold water. Sometimes, I gently tap my temple and whisper to myself, “Here. Here.”
These micro-moments matter. They remind the body it’s safe. They remind the mind it doesn’t need to spin. They bring me home to now.
3. Focus: Anchor Myself in What’s Real, Right Now
Once I’ve stopped and reconnected with my body, there’s a clarity that emerges. My mind settles. I can see what actually needs my attention. And from there, I choose one small, focused move forward. That single move, done with intention, almost always leads to momentum.
When I’m present, inspiration flows more naturally. Writing doesn’t feel like a struggle. My coaching sessions feel deeply connected and transformative. Even the simplest things, like making lunch or getting dressed for a night out, feel more vibrant, more alive. Presence allows life to unfold with ease and joy because I’m no longer resisting it.
Focus isn’t about rigid discipline or efforting. It’s about clearing space inside yourself so you can see what matters and take action from a place of clarity. When we come back to now, we reclaim our power. We return to joy. And life begins to move with us, not against us.
How to Be More Present, More Often
One of the most underrated ways I’ve found to be more present is by simply moving a little more slowly. Years ago, I used to leap out of bed the second my 5am alarm went off, already feeling like the day was slipping away from me. I’d put on my shoes while standing, convinced that somehow that would help me get out the door faster. I was living in constant forward motion, racing toward productivity, yet rarely feeling fulfilled.
These days, I let my mornings start slower. I lie in bed for a few extra moments, feeling the plushness of my mattress, stretching gently, giving thanks for Life itself. It’s such a small shift, but this simple pause sets the tone for a day anchored in presence rather than pressure. Throughout the day, I also bake in short, intentional periods of doing nothing. That might look like sitting on my balcony for ten minutes and staring up at the night sky, or taking a slow, headphone-free walk around the block in the middle of the day. Sometimes, it’s as simple as sitting on the floor in stillness with my eyes closed and body relaxed, watching the thoughts drift across my mind.
The more I practice these pockets of nothingness, the easier it becomes to come back to presence when my thoughts start spinning. I no longer rely on frantic motion to feel alive. With stillness, there’s clarity. With presence, there’s peace. And more often than not, a soft, inexplicable joy rises in my chest for no reason other than being here.
What about you? What’s your favorite way to drop back into the present moment? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
Ps. Want to kickstart your journey to a slower, more joyful way of living? Sign up for the free 5 Days of Slow audio course here.
