One of the most important things you can do to stay healthy and happy is to be in the now.
A few hundred years ago, this was probably a no-brainer. Life moved more slowly—no computers, no constant WhatsApp messages, no social media, no overwhelming to-do lists. People had fewer possessions and simpler routines.
But now things are different. Instead of moving 5 miles per hour, so to speak, we’re all moving at 120 mph. You can work a job and five side hustles while raising children. You can even use AI to write romantic poems to your wife.
But if you are moving 120 mph, then you are not going to see some of those beautiful flowers on the side of the road. And some of those beautiful flowers might actually be special moments with your children, like teaching them to dribble a soccer ball or write the letter Y.
Phones
Well, folks, I have to be honest. We’re in the 21st century and there’s no way I can write this article without talking about smartphones.
Phones may be the single biggest reason people are no longer living in the now. They constantly pull us out of the present moment—out of our bodies, out of our surroundings, and out of real connection with ourselves and others.
We check our phones while eating, while walking, while sitting with our children, and even while trying to fall asleep. Instead of being here, we’re somewhere else—scrolling, worrying, comparing, reacting.
And yet, so much of health depends on being able to come back to now.
What It Means to Be in the Now
Being in the now doesn’t mean meditating for an hour or emptying your mind completely. It’s much simpler than that.
It means sitting and breathing for a few seconds instead of checking your phone, eating your food and actually tasting it, being with your child and giving them your full attention, finishing one task before jumping to the next.
The body functions best when we are present. And this is when healing happens.
How We Leave the Now
Phones are the most obvious way we escape the present moment, but they’re not the only way.
People also leave the now through worrying about the future, replaying the past, fantasizing about a different life, criticizing themselves internally, planning endlessly instead of acting.
Interestingly, different personality types tend to escape the now in different ways.
Some people are constant planners. Others live in daydreams. Some get stuck in self-criticism. Others are always anticipating the next vacation, relationship, or achievement.
A Simple Tool for Awareness
One helpful framework for understanding how you tend to leave the present moment is the Enneagram. It’s a personality system that describes nine common patterns of thinking and reacting.
You can take a free Enneagram test online here: https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-test
Once you identify your type, ask yourself: How do I usually leave the now? What pulls my attention away most often?
Then choose three simple actions (in addition to using your phone less), three things to do less (for example, constant fantasizing or self-criticism), or three things to do more (like walks in nature or spending more time with your spouse) to bring yourself back into the moment.
The Rewards of Being Present
As people practice returning to the now, something interesting happens.
Moments start to feel fuller. Conversations feel more meaningful. People notice that you’re really there with them. Many report feeling calmer and happier, without trying to change anything else.
Even sleep improves. When the mind is less rushed and less tangled in thought, falling asleep becomes easier.
Digestion improves too. In Chinese medicine, we learn that you shouldn’t read or think intensely while eating. The ancient Chinese understood that excessive thinking disrupts digestion. Modern research now supports this idea—stress diverts blood flow away from the digestive system.
Acupuncture and the Now
This is also one of the quiet benefits of acupuncture.
Once a week, patients lie down, close their eyes, and stop doing. The nervous system slows. Thinking settles. The body shifts into repair mode. Over time, this becomes a kind of training—teaching the body what it feels like to be safe, calm, and present.
The body releases its “feel-good” chemicals not because something is forced, but because the system finally has permission to rest.
Many patients tell me they cherish their 1-2 hours of acupuncture each week because it is a reset. And here’s the beautiful part: that same kind of reset is available to you free of charge, without going anywhere, many times a day. All you have to do is pause and come back to now.
Coming Back, Again and Again
Living in the now is not something you master once. It’s a habit you practice, moment by moment.
Put the phone down. Take one breath. Taste your food. Look at the person in front of you.
And ultimately, change the structure of your life on a deep level, so being in the now is easier for you to do.
What does this mean practically? It means simplifying your life. Making more time to do things you love—being in nature, spending time with your kids, pursuing your hobbies. It means reassessing how much money you actually need to make. Reassessing whether you really have to work those long hours. Reassessing your relationship to your phone and all the ways it fragments your attention.
When you learn to return to the now, your body rewards you—with better digestion, better sleep, better relationships, and a greater sense of ease.
Your friends will notice. You will have something very special that is priceless—more presence.
Until next time, stay well—and may you be where the magic is. Right here in the now.