Living Consciously: How To Live More Consciously

In today’s world, with so many media and sources of distraction inviting us to focus on others and not on ourselves, it is becoming increasingly difficult to live consciously. It seems that our interior is becoming less and less attractive.

But why should we be interested in living consciously? Why do we need to explore our own experiences?

This is not just about a connection with the self, but about being fully aware of the moment and the circumstances we live in.

To delve into these answers is part of what we address in this article. Here we look at what it means to live consciously, what prevents us from doing it, and what we can do to achieve it.

What does it mean to live consciously?

To live consciously is to know what you are, who you are, your place in the world and your place in relation to the other people around you. It is about remembering your responsibilities, your qualities, your virtues, and also recognizing your negative side.

This brings us back to the concept of dasein, by the German philosopher Martin Heidegger. Dasein is “to be in the world”, to be placed in the dynamic, experience and live. In short, it is a relationship to one’s own being.

At the same time, remembering the great Spanish thinker José Ortega y Gasset, conscious lifestyle has to do with us and our circumstances and what we do with the world we live in.

What prevents us from living consciously in the present?

In addition to distractions in everyday life, overtime and other activities, certain attitudes affect us and are a sign that we are not living consciously in the moment.

Some of them are the following:

• Resentment : Resentment is a negative feeling of a bitter memory due to a violation or injury that we believe we have received undeservedly. It has to do with feelings of anger and sadness.
• Fear and anxiety : We are afraid of danger, of dying, of getting sick, of something bad happening to our children. When we become prey for fear, we stop living fully. Both fear and anxiety give rise to feelings of anguish, insecurity and uncertainty about the future.
• Excessive self-confidence : A certain amount of self-confidence is positive, too much becomes a bad thing. An exaggerated ego prevents us from making contact with the world and with people.

• Avoidance : Being aware of what we are means accepting our reality. Living in the past, in seemingly nicer moments, or imagining an idealized future may provide temporary relief, but that is not the solution.
• Distraction : Living fully is only possible if you pay attention to yourself, your circumstances and your present moment.
• Boredom : If you are bored with what you are doing and what you have in front of you, it is because you might wish you were doing something else right now. But if you’re always bored, it’s a bad sign.

Tips for living more consciously

Although we assume that it is necessary to live attentively in the present, not all of us know how to focus more on the here and now. We must train the mind to experience each experience. We must learn what we have learned again.

1. Meditation

Meditation is the beginning of a conscious life. When we meditate, we do nothing but be here, in the present moment, live in the moment.

Evidence has been found that meditation has beneficial biopsychosocial effects in various areas of human life, both in terms of emotional states and in cognitive processes and general health. It even affects the symptoms of chronic diseases.

Thus, the development of meditation as a habit can help us to live consciously and stop thinking with anxiety about what is to come or with remorse over what has already happened.

2. Yoga and exercise

Yoga is not just a series of stretching exercises for the benefit of the body. Above all, it works on the connection between mind and body.

In fact, several studies mention that physical activity and yoga are stress-reducing agents and promote a better quality of life, in terms of physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual aspects.

3. Leave judgments and expectations

Setting expectations means that we are unable to accept. In the same way, this belief that things should be different is exhausting and prevents us from seeing what is around us.

Of course , we can change for the better and try to improve. Acceptance does not mean that you have to agree with and settle for everything as it is. Rather, it means putting aside the attitude of denial and the eternal struggle against the world.

At the same time, the judgments we give ourselves or the fear of others’ judgments take us away from our reality, and create a distorted idea of ​​what we expect or what others expect of us.

4. Avoid negative emotions

An attitude of trust in the present is to live consciously. But having confidence in the present means letting go of fear, anguish and anxiety.

The same goes for anger, rage and resentment. They link us to negative moments, and prevent us from seeing that there is something more.

5. Practice acceptance and gratitude

Our life may not seem perfect, but no one said it had to be. There are moments or events that we find unpleasant.

And yet, for every detail that we do not like, there is another that makes up for it. If we notice the former and not the latter, it is because we focus too much on the bad.

We can not just live one happy moment after another. However, we can not live in constant sadness either. The French author Albert Camus once said that one can be neither permanently happy nor permanently unhappy.

At the same time, when we are grateful, we see what we have and forget what we lack. This is precisely the essence of living consciously.

6. Mindfulness

Mindfulness is related to being in touch with reality in the moment, in full awareness of what you are doing, without thinking or wanting anything else. Living consciously and with attention is as inseparable as two sides of the same coin.

Several studies show that mindfulness is effective in treating stress and other mental health problems, to the point that it has already been introduced in several psychotherapy programs.

Developing attention is something we can achieve through practice, and avoid anything that distracts our minds from what we are doing, and tries to maintain our concentration on a single task.

Several activities help us to learn the difficult but necessary art of mindfulness and to live consciously. Among these we have the following:

• Listen to soft music
• Reading
• Drawing or painting
• Play chess
• To go for a walk in nature

The benefits of living consciously in the present

If we do not allow ourselves to experience the life we ​​live, we will not get the knowledge each experience entails. Learning will be zero, and we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes.

As we go through life consciously, we are more open to learning from what surrounds us and from ourselves. We cope with suffering and stress better.

Being able to live consciously in the present is within our reach. Our future existence will depend on it, much more than on the other things we cannot control.

We can free ourselves from unnecessary suffering. All we need to do is let the shell we have taken refuge in, lower the volume of noise coming from outside, open our eyes to what we have inside, and dare to really live.