There are a few easy things you can do to help you be more fully in the present:

1. Pay attention to what is going on around you. If you’re not actively engaged in doing something productive, take a good look at what’s going on around you. If you’re out walking, notice everything: the cars driving by (what colour are they?), the trees blowing in the wind (listen to the gentle rustling of the leaves), various animals scurrying around (that spider spinning its web in the hedgerow), the clouds (look at the kaleidoscopic patterns they make), the air temperature (can you feel warm sun on your face or a cool breeze in your hair?), freshly cut grass (what does it smell like?).

2. Focus on what you’re doing. If you’re mowing the grass, focus on mowing the grass. If you’re writing a report, focus on writing the report. Sounds simple, right? How often do we get distracted though? I know I do. ALL THE TIME. It takes practice to focus, so practice with each task you do. Don’t worry when you start thinking about something else – and you will, just gently come back to the task and let go of your previous thought. Learning to get actively focused helps you get so much more done.

3. If you’re struggling to focus on what you’re doing or what’s around you, focus on your breathing instead. Your breath helps to get your brain and body in sync. It’s like a constant in the universe; it’s always with you. Focus on your breathing and when your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your breath. Give yourself ten minutes or so focusing on this, and then you should be ready to move your focus on to something else.

4. Practice all the time. Make a game out of it. See if you can cook dinner without losing focus. I laugh to myself now when I realise my mind has wandered from the task in hand to what new content I want to develop. So I make a game out of it and don’t beat myself up about it. And I do this with everything. All day long.

5. At night, focus on your breathing. Going to bed is the perfect opportunity to get all worked up about what we need to do tomorrow and how little time we have to do it in. None of which helps anyone. Focus on your breathing until you fall asleep.

Learning to be present is a constant work-in-progress. But when you make the effort to be more present, you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel and how much more you can get done.