Staying Present

The act of being present is focusing on what is currently happening in your space, both physically and mentally, and not on what has happened in the past or in anticipation of the future. While multitasking may seem like a hyped-up form of being present, it is actually the opposite, as you are constantly forcing yourself to switch contexts. This requires you to think about both what you were doing where you left off (the past) and what you need to do next (the future).

If you create unrealistic expectations about being able to manage multiple activities at once, you are guaranteeing stress in trying to get it all done and disappointment when none of it gets done well. Think for a moment if you can realistically do all of these things well at the same time: tackle a work project on a Saturday, text your friend about plans for next week, and watch a movie as a family. It seems unlikely that doing all these things at once will result in any of them getting completed well, yet it is likely anything but far-fetched to imagine yourself in a similar situation. Learn to take tasks one at a time, staying in the moment for each of them. Doing so will improve the quality of your interactions with others, the quality of your work, and your overall satisfaction with your outcomes.