Being in the moment

Ever since I started going to therapy I've been adviced to be more in the moment. There are probably many different ways to do this but my focus was to use my sences more. People are so easily destracted by their phones, listening to music, tablets and what not else and there are could be just as many reasons to do it as ways to be destracted.

 Listening to music isn't just about the music; I'd say you isolate yourself or protecting yourself from external impressions. I was walking in my own world with my own soundtrack. Hiking, however, is impossible while listening to music. I feel like I need to get the whole picture of the surroundings. For some reason photographing can't be done with music on either. Again a guess, but listening is important for us humans as we don't have the capabilities to smell danger as animals do. Nature has some many different sounds in store for us. Adding smells to this, you start thinking what you're really experiencing and using words to describe it.

Observing other people have I also found to be relaxing. I enjoy to sit on a bench and observe all the people walking past, and imagening what their lifes are like and how many coincidences that are needed for me to see them right there and then. It's never been about the need to know in order to control my anxiety for not knowing. These types of "games" have occupied me when being bored as a kid. Naturally, even as a kid I found it embarrasing to play and act like a kid when in public. One of my therapists suggested that maybe as a kid I was afraid I'd get yelled at or bother people. Back to the bench again, during my bad periods I've been sitting there to expose myself. Social anxiety makes you want to go home, away from people. Setting a time for how long and be aware about my surroundings was an easy way to train. Just five minutes, then ten and maybe ten more and so on. The urge to return home needs to be lowered and be open to impressions.