So many times during the day I find myself running through upcoming events and rehearsing conversations I may have with others. It’s exhausting to go through this routine over and over. Pretty much 100% of the time I don’t ever have the conversations that I am having in my head, and nothing ever goes the way you expect it. Most of the time I don’t even interact with the individuals that I am having these conversations with. It’s a pretty unhealthy habit. For one, it takes me out of the present moment. Secondly, it stresses me out since my body tenses up thinking I’m having these uncomfortable conversations. Once again, this dialog I am going through with others in my head will NEVER happen!
Here is a technique that I use to bring me back into the present. I usually smile when I realize I’ve gone into my head for too long.
- I take a good breath. Not a deep breath, more like a reminder breath. Usually, when I’ve left the present moment, I am unaware of my breathing, so this breath brings me back to the present moment.
- I relax my tongue. The more in my head I am, the harder I press my tongue to the roof of my mouth. Relaxing my tongue relieves so much pent-up stress.
- I relax my shoulders. Similar to number 2, the more out of touch I am with the present moment, the more tense my shoulders will be.
- I open up my palms to face up. I got this last part from Bob Goff in his book Love Does. This relaxes me and also puts me into a feeling of gratitude for recognizing the present moment.
After those four steps, I typically either say a brief prayer, smile, or have a sense of gratitude for the present moment. For way too long I was stuck in my head for huge parts of my day.
