learning to live in the moment: how i finally found happiness

this year has genuinely been the best of my life, and i think the biggest reason for that is that i finally learned how to just appreciate my life as it’s happening, without constantly worrying about what comes next. it’s been a long road to get here, but i’m so grateful for everything i’ve learned along the way.

for the longest time, i was stuck. i’d gone to every therapist i could find and tried every psychiatrist’s recommendation, hoping something would finally click. and then, finally, i found a treatment plan and medication that worked for me. that alone was life-changing—it gave me clarity, balance, and the ability to actually approach my life without feeling scared or overwhelmed.

when my life started to feel manageable, i had this moment with my mom where i almost broke down crying. i told her i was scared—scared that this happiness, this peace, was going to disappear. she looked at me and said something that has stuck with me ever since: “if i spent every day wondering what if, or worrying when everything good might disappear, i would be miserable.”

that hit me hard. i’d been so caught up in expecting the worst that i wasn’t allowing myself to enjoy the best. it was like a switch flipped in my brain: it’s okay to prepare for hard times, but you can still let yourself fully experience the good ones.

letting go of the outcome
i used to worry so much about the outcome of everything. i wouldn’t even try to do the things i wanted because i was so scared they wouldn’t turn out perfectly. but the truth is, nothing will ever be perfect right away. if you want the good outcome, you have to accept the failure and the self-doubt that come with getting there.

happiness and peace aren’t permanent states. even now, when i feel the best i ever have, there are still moments where i doubt myself. but instead of getting stuck in that, i remind myself that everything passes—the bad moments and the good ones. i’ve tried to switch my perspective: instead of believing i’ll always end up feeling bad, i remind myself that the good always comes back, too.

appreciating the "filler episodes"
not every day is going to feel amazing or magical. sometimes i’m driving home from work with the windows down, screaming the words to sabrina carpenter’s new song (i have had short n' sweet on repeat all day, every day), and everything feels perfect. other times, it’s just another day. and i've been starting to realize that’s okay.

for a while, i thought that if i wasn’t 100% happy and excited all the time, then i was somehow failing. that mindset was just so toxic. life isn’t always going to be perfect, and living in the moment means accepting that. some days are just filler episodes. you’re not falling behind—you’re just living, and that’s enough.

taking it one thing at a time
something that’s really helped me is learning to focus on one thing at a time. when my 5 a.m. alarm goes off for my workout, i don’t let myself think about how tired i am or everything else i have to do that day. i just get up, throw on my workout clothes, and start.

i’ve stopped letting myself get overwhelmed by the whole day. instead, i just focus on the next task. when i’m done working out, i focus on showering. when i’m done showering, i focus on getting ready for work. i take everything moment by moment, and it’s made such a difference in how i feel.

leaving the past behind
another thing that’s changed my life is letting go of my past. for a long time, i would look up toxic people from my past online, even though i knew it was draining me. i felt like keeping tabs on them maintained some kind of connection, but it wasn’t doing me any good. eventually, i realized that if someone isn’t in my life anymore, there’s a reason.

living in the moment means not letting old memories or people take up space in my mind. their opinions, their lives, and their choices don’t matter anymore. they’re not part of me now, and that’s freeing.

finding joy in the little thingsat the end of the day, living in the moment is about appreciating the little things—like baking cookies, singing in the car, or just sitting with a cup of tea and writing in my journal (maybe reading old entries, that's fun too). it’s about not letting your emotions from one moment ruin the next.

there’s a lot of power in letting yourself feel what you need to feel and then moving on. bad moments don’t have to become bad days, and hard times don’t have to define you. you get to decide how you react to everything life throws at you.

pssst...to hear more about my personal journey with changing my mindset in order to live in the moment, please check out my latest youtube video. i bake christmas cookies and get real about what's been going on in my life. i hope to see you there! <3

final thoughts
​if you struggle with living in the moment, believe me, i get it. it’s not easy to let go of worry, self-doubt, or the weight of the past. but the more you practice being present and appreciating where you are right now, the easier it gets.

life isn’t perfect, and it doesn’t need to be. so take a deep breath, let go of what doesn’t serve you, and remind yourself that you are exactly where you need to be.

whatever comes next, you’ve got this.

happy holidays, and i hope you have a beautiful day or night wherever you are. <3