Being present is an increased awareness of what is happening right now. As we become more self- aware in our journey of mindfulness we may start to notice our thoughts. Our thoughts affects the way we feel and the way we behave.

Overthinking, feeling stressed, anxious and in pain may all be exacerbated by thoughts based in the past or projected into the future. We do not live in the past and we haven’t yet existed in the future, we only ever live in the present moment.

Becoming self- aware of noticing if you feel stressed, anxious, low in mood or in pain and noticing what we are thinking about may help us become more aware of triggers that affect our thoughts and feelings. Taking a moment to pause and notice your breath helps you collect your thoughts.

If we are overthinking about the future we have no evidence that our thoughts will come true because we haven’t existed there yet. If our thoughts are based in the past experiences this is not to say that all experiences will be the same. By learning to become present, self aware and mindful of how are thoughts can affect how happy or sad we feel we may notice how we react to people, food, drink and exercise.