How does one be present in company, when driving, in a relationship, in an event?

Has your mind ever wondered while you’re driving? Or have you done this, check your phone while you are with your friends, colleagues, wife or girlfriend?

If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of this then you are no being present.

Being present means interacting with what you are doing currently. If you are driving, be present when you drive which will cause less mistakes, and less accidents on the road.  When the mind wonders, your reaction is slower and therefore will make a mistake and probably have an accident. I know, because I’ve experienced it before.

Being present when you are with company shows how important the person’s company is that’s sat opposite you. If you start to play with your phone, you stop appreciating the company you have, making that person feel unimportant and why did you meet up in the first place if you cannot give your 100% to that person if you are going to be distracted on the phone. Nothing is more important then the person that is sat in front of you otherwise why arrange to meet up?

Many times when I sit in a cafe, I would look at my phone, read my social media. Occasionally looking up from my phone, I observe how a husband and wife would sit there in silence while they are busy with their phones. It is a very sad state indeed. I wonder do they even communicate? I see a group of young teens sitting in a group, in silence and playing with their phone…maybe talking to each other through their phones. Have we become so socially inept that we don’t talk anymore, be present for the person we are with?

If you fall into any one of the situations above, what can you do about it? How do you be present?

Here are some pointers:

• put your phone on silent when you are with company. At least an hour. Aren’t they interesting enough to find out how they are doing?
• go out to nature / park. Sit in silence and listen. What do you hear, can you smell the nature around you. Calm your mind and slow down for 10 minutes. Then start your day
• no call are every that important as to have you read the message while you are driving. If it beeps, tell yourself, my safety is priority – we are not invincible and we can get hurt physically.
• when driving, pay attention to the car in front of you, pay attention to your environment.

Lastly,

BE PRESENT