Stress Management

Be Present

1. Be in the now. Practice mindfulness. Notice your grounding focal points. Notice your five senses. Check in with what you are thinking and feeling. Open to your environment. Be present to other people and let them know you see and hear them. Be present to yourself too. 

2. Actively listen. Listen to your gut and your intuition. Give your full attention to someone else or yourself by minimizing other distractions—phone, the Internet, and so on. Use multiple forms of verbal and nonverbal communication (eyes, body language, nods when appropriate) to let others know you are listening. 

3. Honor needs. Be present to your needs. Notice when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired (HALT). Teach other people HALT so they can honor their own needs. 

4. Engage in self-care. Engage in a positive activity that will fill you up and nourish you. Teach others that it isn’t selfish to take care of themselves. 

5. Allow time for play. Spend time having fun by yourself or with someone else. Play in the snow or the rain, listen to and sing along with some music, enjoy the process of decorating your room. There are many ways to have good, old-fashioned fun. 

6. Do for others. Reflect on how you would like to be treated or the things you wish others would do for you. Do them for another person or yourself.

7. Focus on strengths. Acknowledge your own strengths when you see them in action. When you see strengths in others, let them know it. 

8. Practice kindness. Today, do one kind act for another person that doesn’t get you anything in return. Do one kind act for yourself today. 

9. Take a break from social media. Focus on others and yourself without the use of social media. Communicate with others through a call, a text, or a face-to-face visit. Turn off social media for an entire day. 

10. Take in the good. Alone or with someone else, engage in what you consider a positive and healthy experience. Take time to practice HOT (Have the beneficial experience. Open to the beneficial experience. Take in the beneficial experience). 

Try any of these ten ways to be present every day, once a week, or once a month. When you are aware of engaging in any of these gifts of presence, notice what it feels like, savor it, and take it in.