Living in the Now, In Between the Ticks of the Clock

How often do you find yourself somewhere else — in your mind, I mean? Maybe you’re replaying a conversation you wish you’d handled differently, or worrying about something that might happen next week, next month, or even years from now. Or maybe, like so many of us, you’re not really anywhere at all, half-scrolling, half-listening, half-here, as your phone tugs at your attention over and over again.

It’s so easy to slip out of the present and drift into the past, the future or the endless noise of notifications and updates. Yet life, real life, is only ever happening right here, right now.

This is a transcript of a part of a trance I use with clients.

"Because the past is gone … and gone with it is any opportunity to change what’s

happened … and yet you understand that the wonderful truth is that we don’t have to

change the past, you have coped with and survived everything from your past … and

the future … the future is just a dream … a dream that you can colour with bright

clear possibility … you can choose to imagine your future just as you would wish it to

be … you can fill it with joy and happiness … and all the success that you truly

deserve … but it all begins in this very moment where all is real … in between the

ticks of the clock …"

"The past is gone — and gone with it is any chance to change what’s happened". That can feel frustrating, but it can also be freeing. We don’t have to change the past — we just have to let it stay where it belongs. We can thank it for what it taught us and bring our attention back to what’s in front of us today.

And the future? The future is fertile ground for stress. All the what-ifs, the to-do lists that never end, the conversations we rehearse in our heads long before they ever happen — if they ever happen at all. Living with stress is living in the future. Living with regret is living in the past. And living with distraction, well, that’s not really living at all. But living in peace? That only happens in the present.

I was reminded of this so clearly one recent night, at a comedy show of all places. I still smile when I think back to it. Before the show started, we were all asked to lock our phones in special pouches. No filming, no photos, no checking messages — no endless urge to “just have a quick look.”

At first, it felt strange. I’m so used to my phone being right there, ready to grab if I feel even a flicker of boredom or need to respond to someone or something. A part of me felt a bit exposed, like I’d left a shield at home. But once the show began, something unexpected happened.

I wasn’t thinking about emails or messages. I wasn’t tempted to check the time or capture a video I’d probably never watch again. I was just… there. I noticed the way the comedian read the room, the real belly laughs that rolled through the crowd, and the way everyone’s attention was in the same place at the same time.

For nearly two hours, I was completely present. No buzzing phone in my pocket. No screen between me and the moment. Just real laughter, real connection, real now. I walked out of that show feeling lighter than I had in ages. And it struck me: this is what we’re missing when we’re pulled away by our screens and our worries and our constant need to check.

It made me wonder, how many other moments slip by because we’re not really here for them? How many conversations do we only half-hear? How many precious small joys get buried under notifications and distractions?

The thing is, these tiny pauses, noticing your breath, putting your phone down for a while, tasting your tea properly, they don’t seem like much on their own. But the magic happens when you realise they add up. Every small moment of presence is like putting a single coin in a jar. Over time, you’re not just gathering fleeting seconds of calm, you’re building a life that feels more awake, more connected, more yours.

Once you begin to practise the small things, switching off for a few minutes, paying full attention to the person in front of you, leaving your phone in another room while you eat, something wonderful happens. These small pockets of presence grow into bigger moments. You might find yourself really seeing your loved ones when they talk. You might feel more patient in situations that used to wear you down. You might start to notice what truly matters and what really doesn’t.

And when we forget? We lose these moments. We lose the chance to notice the simple, good things, the smile from a stranger, the warmth of the sun on your face, the taste of your coffee instead of just gulping it down between emails. We lose little pieces of ourselves, scattered between the past we can’t change and a future that may never arrive as we imagined.

So the next time you feel your thoughts dragging you back, pulling you forward, or being hijacked by your phone, pause. Take a breath. Feel your feet on the floor. Look up. Look around.

What can you see, hear, smell? What’s one tiny thing you can enjoy right now? A warm cup of tea. A glimpse of blue sky. The softness of your jumper. The hush when you decide to leave your phone alone for a while.

These small choices to return to the moment, again and again, shape how you live the bigger moments too. They remind you that life doesn’t wait. It’s happening now. So be here for it. Be here for you.

⸻

Thanks for reading — I hope this gave you a gentle nudge to pause and breathe today.

I’d love to hear your thoughts: how do you switch off and find your own “now” moments? Your ideas might inspire someone else to look up and join you in the present.

Feel free to share them with me at hypnowithdean@gmail.com, or connect with me over at www.hypnotherapywithdean.com, on Instagram [@hypnotherapywithdean], or Facebook Hypnotherapy With Dean — I love seeing how others find their own ways to be truly here.

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