Episode 20: How to Stay Present When Life Gets Busy: Simple Practices for Clarity and Ease

💫 Episode 20: How to Stay Present When Life Gets Busy: Simple Practices for Clarity and Ease

Life has a way of speeding up right when we feel least prepared for it. The calendar fills, family needs multiply, the holidays come around, and suddenly you're moving through the day on autopilot. If you’re like me, your brain starts jumping ahead to the next task—or looping frustration from something that happened days ago.

In this episode, we explore one simple, powerful question:

How do you stay present when life gets unusually busy?

Presence isn’t about being calm, Zen, or perfect. It’s about being here—right now—so your mind can settle, your nervous system can soften, and you can move through the day with clarity instead of overwhelm.

The Power of Play: Turning Presence into a Game

I love to bring play into life, especially when my schedule feels packed. These “games” aren’t chores—they’re small, joyful shifts that invite you back into your body, your breath, and your moment.

1. The Micro Pause

This one takes two seconds.
Before you switch tasks, simply stop and name what you're about to do.

I am washing dishes.
I am picking up my phone.
I am sending an email.

You don’t change what you’re doing—you just become awake to it. This short pause breaks autopilot, resets your attention, and helps stop the mental spiral of future-thinking.

2. One Task at a Time

Multitasking feels productive, but in busy seasons it turns the mind into static. By choosing one task and fully committing to it—even for 10 or 20 minutes—you shift into presence, effectiveness, and mental calm. Set a timer, focus deeply, then give yourself a small break before returning.

3. Let Your Environment Anchor You

Your world is full of natural presence cues: a stoplight, the grocery checkout line, the moment you open your car door. These built-in pauses invite your awareness back into the moment. When you notice your environment, you stop living two hours ahead and start living here.

Release the Pressure (Perfection Is Not Presence)

Overwhelm often comes from pressure, not the task itself. When you drop perfection and break big responsibilities into small steps, everything becomes more doable. One thing, one moment, one next right step.

And your self-talk matters. Simple mental cues like:

Right now, this is what I’m doing
or
One step at a time

pull your mind out of overload and back into clarity.

You Don’t Need to Be Perfect—Just Present

Staying present during busy seasons doesn’t require stillness, quiet, or spiritual mastery. It requires intention. It requires awareness. And it only asks for small moments, not perfection.

You deserve to move through your days with more ease, more grounding, and more breath—even when life is full.

✨ If this message resonates with you, please share this post with a friend, subscribe to the Collective Guidance podcast, and join me on Instagram @charligirl7 or @collectiveguidance . Let’s create a world where sensitivity is celebrated.

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Sending love, remembrance, faith, and creativity,

Charla ❤️