Yesterday morning, the KLOVE morning show was talking about the “this is your brain, this is drugs, this is your brain on drugs” commercial. Some of you remember that commercial quite vividly. Others have no idea what I’m talking about.

Some days it feels like: this is my life, this is my life on steroids, this is my life on the edge of chaos, this is my life barely hanging on. Anyone else ever feel that way?

Here are four tricks for living in the moment:

1) Celebrate the moment. Yesterday we had a bizarre situation arise when my husband was taking bids on home insurance. I won’t get into the silliness, but I will say that in the midst of it, he hopped on social media with this picture of our pooch. It so perfectly captures her inquisitive soul and sweet spirit. It also captures the beginnings of spring. A spring that many of us wondered if it would ever really, truly come. It’s here! So I’m going to celebrate: a family that loves me, a dog that adores me, a God who sent His son for me, and a world that travels from season to season each year. 

2) Remember what’s most important:  Today my 4 year old read me half of this book. As a homeschooling mama, my heart sang as he got so excited about reading PAGES of the book with very little help from me. He’s discovering the joy of learning, so sitting on the couch and listening to his sweet voice was important. Spending time at the gym grading tests while my 14 year old had a private was important so she feels prepared for state this morning. Stopping to talk with my husband, give him spontaneous kisses while we connect is important (I’m trying to get better at that, Eric. Really!)

3) Enjoy the simple things. For me right now that’s making coffee with my French press. It’s making sure I drink enough water. It’s taking the PIYO and Kettlebell classes as I can, so I feel good about me. It’s celebrating the details, finding the silver lining on the cloud, dancing in the puddles with my children. It’s savoring the tear-off quotes in a calendar.

4) Learn how to capture the items you must do and prioritize. Some days I excel at this. Other days I fail. I forgot to post a blog post on a group post. I could find excuses. The reality is I remembered 12 hours too late. So now I’m adding a reminder to my phone’s calendar. Why? Because I hate disappointing people or letting them down. When I know I have a system that is working, it frees braincells from worrying about what I’m forgetting. Ever had those moments or realities? Please tell me I’m not the only one.

These are a few techniques I try to use to stay in the moment. What do you do?