The pros and cons of living in the present

When a person feels overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed, they usually get suggestions or advice from their support system and people around them to live in the present, reducing the pressure on their mind. In a way, they are asking the person to do their best in the present moment and not think about their past or future. As a person can’t change the past or write their future, what they can do is only working in the present to reduce past impressions of life or plant productive seeds for the future in the present. But have you ever thought about what will happen when a person starts living in the present? How will it affect their lives?

What does living in the present refer to?

Living in the present refers to being actively engaged in your present moment. Living your life consciously and believing in each moment you breathe is a gift. It allows the person to experience life fully. It makes the person feel more joy, happiness, and gratitude. In general, it affects our life positivity. Here, one thing that is also very important to understand is that living in the present and being mindful are two different things.

Also Read: 11 brutal life lessons that nobody will teach you

The difference between living in the present and mindfulness: mindfulness in a state of meta-awareness, allows the person to experience life with full acceptance of themselves and their environment without judgment. This state can be experienced through meditation. Mindfulness without being present is not possible. But it does not mean they both (mindfulness and living in the present) are the same. They are similar. When a person lives in the present, they judge their situation and surroundings and mostly act on present thoughts, not considering the future consequences. It can be said that living in the present is the foundation state, and mindfulness is a higher state of human consciousness.

Pros of living in the present

1) Improvement in productivity:

When people focus on the present, they save their energy by not being occupied by past memories and future worries. It helps the person get fully engaged in the present moment and work on the positive possibilities of the present moment. Because of this, this person’s performance gets better once they become habitual about living in the present. Their sustained attention becomes better, and they also develop tolerance for distractions.

2) Reduced stress:

When people think only about the present, they free themselves from fear, worry, and past and future insecurities. They become more relaxed as they are not considering their future uncertainty while talking. Past regrets and future uncertainty are what make us feel more vulnerable to stress. When these two factors come under the control of people, they feel less stress.

Also Read: Why letting go is important in Life

3) Better relationship:

When people live in the present, they do not consider past bad memories in their relationship. They bring a new change to the relationship. In relationships, people are often thinking about why people do this, why he said this, and what they are willing to get from them, and they become preoccupied by contact thoughts, which do not allow them to have meaningful relationships. Whereas when people live in the present, they focus on what is happening now and hence save their relationship from overthinking, predictions, and unnecessary judgments.

4) Become more creative:

living is present and allows the person to think creatively. As they are more focused on the task or activities they are performing, they can invest more energy in their imagination and try something creative. They are able to make maximum use of their resources and work for better outcomes. A relaxed mind is the major reason for a person being creative.

5) Better social skills:

When people are living in the present, they become good listeners and attend to the person who is speaking with full effort. Which makes them better in their social relationships. Everyone wants to listen carefully, and when they get it, they often like that person who listens to them patiently without interrupting them.

Cons of always living in the present

Extremes in anything are harmful. When people live in the present, sometimes they fall into trouble as well.

1) Blindness to future consequences:

When people function almost always in the present, they sometimes overlook future consequences or their present joy or happiness. And when they realize that they have already contributed to a future problem, they feel sorry for what they have done. They were asked to live in the present, and that’s what they are getting in return? The answer to this is that while a person is living in the present, they should also understand that there is no one simple master key to solving all the problems in their life.

Also Read: Father of Psychoanalysis: A Deep Dive into the Life of Sigmund Freud

In life, sometimes people have to consider future consequences while taking action in the present. For example, if a person feels I have a good balance to go for travel and he goes for travel by leaving his or her job, do you think this sudden difficulty will not affect his or her life in the future?

2) Action on impulse:

When people are in the habit of living in the present and any problem arises, it becomes very difficult for them to overlook such situations, as they are now in the practice of sustained attention and can’t ignore the situation that is bothering them. They sometimes in such situations act on impulse as they forget that this present situation will also change in future. “Time changes,” they forget; they are focusing on living in time.

3) No planning:

They believe so much in living in the present and spontaneity that they see the importance of planning. How can it be possible to plan for the future when everything is guided by the present? Because they are not planning, they can fall miserably when taking decisions for long-term goals. Planning and spontaneity are both important and should be used wisely.

4) Difficulty in handling challenging situations in the present:

Imagine a person living in the present encountering any intense negative situation in their life. How do you think they will react? It’s possible that they become very intensely affected by it, as their focus is only on the present. This can affect them badly, as they are not calculating the future possibilities while experiencing their challenge.

Immediate pleasure vs. long-term reward

Whenever people take any action or decision, they must first consider their immediate action and long-term consequences. For example, when a person is going to buy a house, choose a job, or study any subject, they have to consider their future scope and possibilities as well. Life’s every decision cannot be taken based on the philosophy of present moments. They have to consider future rewards when they are planning for any long-term goal.

Also Read: Importance of Good Memories in Our Life

Equilibrium between the past, present, and future

The best way to live life is to live it flexibly between the past, present, and future. Consider your past learning while taking actions in the present, and live fully in the present only when it does not plant seeds for future suffering. Make a healthy balance between your positive future possibilities, pleasure in the present, and lessons from the past. It’s not easy. To live a life like this, a person has to live on their conscience. But once you learn it, you will realize that life is unpredictable and there is no master key to walking on it. Equilibrium between all elements is the ultimate solution.

If you are walking on the path of living in the present, beware of its cons and make a healthy balance between the past, present, and future. It’s good news for you if you are already walking on the path of living in the present, as you are in the foundation step of mindfulness. Each choice of a human’s actions comes with a good or bad experience, and you just don’t have to leave the path as it has some disadvantages. Life is about walking on a path until you do not achieve what you desire. So keep walking and remember that everything happens for a reason.

This one life’ everything happens for a reason’ will guide you to accept yourself and your surroundings without judging them and become a more mindful person. We are all learning in life, and there is no comparison between the learning of two individuals as their destinations are different.