By Margarita Tartakovsky

How often does someone talk to you, and you realize that you haven’t caught a single word they’ve said? Or you’re taking a walk, and it’s like you’re driving 100 mph with your surroundings a total blur. When was the last time you actually tasted your food? Or felt grateful for your amazing body? Many of us go through our lives on autopilot, miming the motions and zoning out most of the day. But being more present in your day-to-day can make life less stressful and so much more satisfying, vibrant and fascinating. And the best part is that you don’t need to carve out extra time in your day to be more present. Just do what you always do, but do it while actually paying attention. Here are several ideas to get you started!

Margarita Tartakovsky, MS, is an associate editor at Psych Central and authors the body image blog Weightless. She writes about everything from anxiety and ADHD to creativity and couples to mindfulness and stress. You can learn more about her work at her website.