The Present Moment: 5 Simple Awareness Exercises
Our bodies are always in the present moment. It’s our thoughts that wander off, to yesterday or to tomorrow. In Gestalt therapy, awareness is the word we use for this fine attention to yourself and to what surrounds you, moment after moment. You build it up in small steps. Here are five simple exercises to try at your own pace.
Updated on 28/10/2026
1. Bring your attention back to your five senses
Listen for one particular sound: the wind, a bird, a noise in the distance. Notice a detail around you, a texture, a colour. Savour a piece of fruit or a drink as if it were the first time. This is what it means to ground yourself in your body.
2. Breathe mindfully
Breathe in deeply, then breathe out slowly, keeping your focus only on the air moving in and out through your nose. Three conscious breaths are sometimes enough to bring you back to the “here and now”.
3. Press pause on the to-do list
We do a lot of things on autopilot. To break that rhythm: walk more slowly and feel each step, enjoy a meal without a screen, wash the dishes or take a shower as if it were the first time.
4. Welcome what is
Living in the present moment doesn’t mean it has to be perfect. Notice your emotions without judging them and tell yourself: “This is what’s here, right now.” Naming what is present brings in awareness, the first step towards change.
5. Give yourself 10 seconds of gratitude
Take the time to appreciate one thing about your day: the shadow of leaves on a wall, the warmth of the sun on your skin, a kind word from someone you passed in the street. Gratitude makes the present moment so much richer.
Key takeaways
- Your body is always in the present moment; your thoughts, on the other hand, are only passing through.
- 5 senses, 3 breaths, 1 pause, 1 welcome, 10 seconds of gratitude.
- The present doesn’t need to be perfect to be lived in.
Going deeper, with support
These exercises need no equipment. If you’d like to explore what you notice in yourself with someone alongside you, I see people for individual sessions in the 15th arrondissement of Paris (Convention métro station, line 12) and online.
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