5 ways to live in the moment

Sometimes it feels like life is speeding up and you may feel as if you are constantly trying to catch up with yourself. Many busy women claim that the faster they go, the less they experience. If you don't take time to slow down and live in the moment, you may be productive but not necessarily happy. Crossing a number of items off your daily to-do list may give you a temporary sense of accomplishment, but are you getting the most joy and pleasure out of your day?

Living in the moment -- being fully present to yourself and to others -- has become an acquired skill for many women in our harried, hurry-up society. Here are five simple strategies to help you start living your life instead of letting the best parts of it to pass you by.

1. Breathe
When you first wake in the morning, instead of rolling out of bed and jumping right into your day, just lie there. Lie there for a full five minutes. Just breathe and think of your day ahead. Think of one thing you can do that day that will be joyful for you. Breathe. Connect with yourself. Breathe again.

2. Be intentional
An intention can best be described as an aim guiding an action. What you intend, or what you truly focus your energy on, will be realized in some form. Promise yourself that you will experience the best of your day; that you will create a significant memory of the day. When you are intentional about seizing the moment, it will happen.

3. Slow down
Here's the tough part for over-programmed, multi-tasking women: Let's face it we pride ourselves on our ability to juggle. Attacking several tasks at once may get them done faster, yet our focus can be so scattered that we experience nothing. Cooking your favorite meal, talking to a close friend, listening to a beautiful piece of music are all wonderful activities. But the power of each to soothe your soul is greatly diminished when done simultaneously. Give yourself permission to slow down and do one thing at a time. Really feel the nuances and subtleties of your own experience.

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4. Be present
Often, you may find that your mind is in two (or more) places at once. You may be outwardly listening to your teen ramble about her high school politics, but that work project due tomorrow is speaking to you as well. You're watching a video you've wanted to see for weeks, yet you are running through an earlier heated conversation in your mind. Living in the moment means being present to what you are doing. Stay focused on what you are doing, rather than fragmenting your thoughts forward to the future or back to the past.

By shifting your focus to the present, you allow yourself to be consciously aware of and involved in the doing and being, in the daily minutiae and moments of life. It is here that bliss is found.

5. Don't postpone
We delay truly experiencing our life when we dwell in the future - and wait for something big to make us feel good. If you find yourself spending most of your time imagining tomorrow and beyond, then most likely you are trading the happiness of today for some unspecified time in the future. Determine if you are delaying living in the moment by listening for phrases you say such as "when I get this done I will do that" or "once I've got this I will do that." Instead, consciously choose to do the things that you really want to, don't let them slide. Take control of your to-do list by puting your priorities at the top.

Everyone has the power within themselves to live a rewarding, fulfilling life. Getting things done is a necessary evil. Doing what you want is just plain necessary. So, take a deep breath and intentionally live your moments.