So, I mentioned in an earlier post this month that I’m still working on Social Awareness on my Emotional Intelligence Journey. This month, I’m working on the strategy of “Live in the Moment;” “[i]f you catch yourself being somewhere else mentally, refocus and return to the present. Look at the people around you and listen to the words they use.”

This is a great strategy to work on right now, because it is so easy to get sucked into the negativity on the news and social media. I have to admit, lately I’ve found myself being drawn to just refreshing the social media sites, looking to see what the updates are, news-wise and from my friends. This is not living in the moment. I’m making an effort to place my phone, screen-down, on the counter and walk away. I already keep my phone on vibrate mode, so the few alerts I do get for phone calls and texts are not much of a distraction, but putting the phone away from my side makes such a difference.

I got some new boots, and Little Man and I both got new overalls yesterday, so we got all dressed up this morning to go out in the yard and help with the work. First, it was reading time; I love how Little Man will inspect all of his books and then decide which one to “read.” We ran to the egg lady this morning with Papa and the dog, and then came back and put together the new bench my parents picked up yesterday. Little Man immediately climbed onto it and jumped up and down; I’ve never seen such a cute Quality Control Analyst!

Being outside is really helping with my cell phone addiction, and I’m loving being able to truly live in the moment. I will stop, feel the breeze (sometimes it’s really cold and cuts through you!), listen to the birds, and watch Little Man as he explores the yard or helps pick up a stick. How are you ensuring you live in the moment through this crisis?