As I am cooking a new recipe that I saw on TikTok. I am preparing everything ahead of time, I am focusing on my cutting techniques, the temperature and timing of the heat. Emotionally, I am so excited to challenge myself, and at the same time I am thrilled to see how the meal will come out. And although I feel pressure not to mess up, all of this leads me to a sense of enjoyment because while doing my task, I am fully immersed and mindful of the experience.

Emotionally Present

What makes a person emotionally present is when their emotions are also involved while doing a task. For example, when you are around your pets, and you are dedicating love and time to your pets, you are emotionally present by pouring your emotions into your pet.  Being emotionally present could also look like preparing in advance for an upcoming test, and while testing you are completely focused. Emotionally you want to feel your best towards yourself and obtaining a good grade in a hard class will accomplish that.

Advantages of being emotionally present

When you take part in being emotionally present, you will have a better understanding of yourself, and you will pay more attention to your surroundings. You will develop a deep connection with people because you are also mindful of their emotions. Your pets will be excited to see you because they know you spoiled them with love and affection. All these situations will also positively affect your feelings, like the accomplishment of receiving a good grade in your test.

Emotionally Absent

At the beginning of the pandemic, I became very anxious. I never left the house without my hand sanitizer or face mask. The number of deaths was going up by the minute. I worried about how the Honduran government was handling the pandemic and how it affected my family living there. It took everybody by surprise, especially the schools.

My emotions were all over the place: there were new rules and new routines. When doing class through Zoom I was logging into the meeting, but emotionally I just felt overwhelmed and wanted all of this to be over. Online school only reminded me of the stress—whether that would be related to health, economics, or the new rules that were enforced—that Covid- 19 caused. I went from being in a school of over 2,500 students to being surrounded by no one except family members. Therefore, I would do anything to get distracted by what was going on in the world to prevent future stress.  When a person is emotionally absent, they are doing a task without wanting to, or putting minimum effort.

Disadvantages of being emotionally absent

Not being emotionally present while in Zoom classes made me careless. It affected my participation grade, and I had to work harder to bring my grade up and maintain good grades. Being emotionally absent leads the people around you to feel disconnected because of your lack of attention. Emotional absence also affects your focus. Let us say that your mom is telling you the plan for the road trip, but since you were not emotionally engaged, your mom is going to have the interpretation that you are not looking forward to the trip.

Why be emotionally present

Living life and being emotionally present molds you to change for the better. As I started to get accustomed to the pandemic, I became less anxious of my surroundings. I started to be more patient with online school. If I did a task, I would give it my best. When I spent time together with my friends, I devoted all my attention to them. Being emotionally present with them made me realize how blessed I am that my loved ones and I were healthy during this time. When you practice emotional presence, you become grateful for even the small details in your life, and you develop a mindful habit in everything you do.

What are some habits to change perspective 

To change your perspective, you might want to create new habits that are beneficial for you. You can start by being aware of your current habits that are causing you to do things with a lack of effort. This could look like paying attention to your environment instead of mindlessly scrolling on social media. Or sincerely devoting love and affection to your loved ones and doing what brings you meaning into your life. To be more emotionally present for myself, I keep the habit of journaling, which has helped me tremendously in getting to know myself and my emotions. Developing the habit of expressing your feelings or talking to somebody trustworthy could help you be more emotionally present.

How to practice being emotionally present  

• Check in with your emotions throughout the day.
• Do things that make you genuinely smile.
• Focus on your current task and put your best effort
• Pay attention to people in conversations.
• Share your thoughts in conversations.