How to be present in the moment: seven days, seven small exercises
What does it mean to be present?
To be present is to bring your attention back to the moment you are actually in: what you can see, hear and feel right now, rather than only to what just happened or what might happen next. That is the idea behind the course Seven Days in the Present.
Why it is hard
Attention drifts. We plan, we replay, we move through the day on autopilot. None of that is a medical claim; it is an ordinary habit. The course does not ask you to empty your mind. It asks you to notice, and to come back, more often.
The 7 days at a glance
Seven days, each with a short thought and a small exercise. Reading takes about five minutes, the exercise around ten. The days, as named on the offerings page:
- Day 1. Arriving
- Day 2. Waking the senses
- Day 3. Watching your thoughts
- Day 4. Listening
- Day 5. Sound and silence
- Day 6. Speaking with awareness
- Day 7. Taking the present with you
Try day 1 now
Day 1 is called Arriving. I am not reproducing the full official thought and exercise from the paid course PDF here. What the offerings page already states is the frame: about five minutes of reading and about ten minutes of practice, with the aim of bringing your attention back to the moment you are in.
A first practice, clearly not the course text: sit or stand for about ten minutes. Notice what you can see, hear and feel right now. When your attention wanders, bring it back, without judging yourself. That is already enough for a first try.
If you miss a day
There is no pressure to perform. If you miss a day, you simply pick up again the next. That is the wording on the offerings page, and I hold to it.
From awareness to communication
Day 6 is called Speaking with awareness. Presence is not only a private exercise; it shows up in how you write and speak. The Communication Evaluation Tool (CET) is a way to look at a message before you send it, in that same spirit.
Get the full course
The course is a PDF of 9 pages, in English, for €29. You receive the download link straight after payment. Nothing is posted. It is a small format for self-reflection. It is not therapy and does not replace medical or psychotherapeutic treatment.
The line on the home page is: “The present is the point of power.” Day 5, Sound and silence, also connects to my work with sound, described on the about page.
The course Seven Days in the Present → · Home → · What is the CET? →
FAQ
How can I be more present in the moment?
Bring your attention back to what you can see, hear and feel right now, many times a day, without judging yourself when it drifts. Short daily exercises work better than rare long ones.
How long does it take each day?
In the course "Seven Days in the Present", reading takes about five minutes and the exercise about ten.
Do I need meditation experience?
No. The exercises are small and everyday, for example listening or noticing your senses.
Does this help with overthinking?
The course is for people who want to bring their attention back to the present more often. It makes no medical claim and is not a treatment for rumination or any diagnosis.
What if I miss a day?
You simply pick up again the next day. There is no pressure to perform.
Is this a replacement for therapy?
No. It is a small format for self-reflection and does not replace medical or psychotherapeutic treatment.