I was recently scrolling through social media and happened upon a celebrity who mentioned that the people who ask, “Where has the time gone?!” are the ones who are likely not exploring how to be more present in everyday life.

I  started seething at this perceived callout by someone who, I imagined, probably had all the time in the world to be present. Once I realized I was projecting my own insecurities onto an Internet stranger, I was faced with the reality that I did have time to practice being more present—I just wasn’t doing it.

Admittedly, I was anxious that I couldn’t easily tap into the present moment without being bombarded by intrusive thoughts, existential dread, or any number of negative experiences I’d been staving off by scrolling through YouTube shorts. But as it turns out, my experience is part of the process, explains cognitive behavioral therapist and author of Goodbye, Anxiety: A Guided Journal for Overcoming Worry Terri Bacow, PhD.

“Being more mindful doesn’t mean you get rid of thoughts, emotions, or distractions,” says Bacow. “I encourage people to think of being present as less of achieving a perfect ‘zen’ state and more as gently returning their attention, over and over, to the moment they are in.”

So in the following weeks, I did exactly that by adding a “mindfulness” snippet to each day to help me become more present. My experiment forced me to rethink all the stories I’d told myself about how busy I am, how little time I have, and how many other things I let take priority over me. I don’t know if practicing being present slows down my perception of time, but it does improve my perception of myself. And that makes it something worth doing.

Learning How to Be More Present? Here’s 35 Ways.

Being more present can be as simple as you need it to be. “You don’t need to engage in a lengthy meditation session for it to be impactful,” says Bacow. “Even brief mindfulness practices can help regulate the nervous system and improve focus.”

Still, the advice to “be more present” can sound pretty vague and self-helpy. So here are some tangible ideas to get you started on connecting with your own version of presence. When I remember to practice them, by the end of each day, I feel slightly more at ease, patient, and connected to everything around me.

1. Feel into where you’re holding tension in your body. Are your shoulders near your ears? Foot tapping? Jaw clenched? Release.
2. Take three slow breaths before answering an email, text, or DM.
3. Sit by the ocean and watch the waves roll in. (Or recall a time you did.)
4. Do nothing more than lie in bed and listen to really good music.
5. Sit for a few minutes each day with no goals or agenda.
6. Cook in silence.
7. Notice the many, many different shades of green on a long walk or drive.
8. Listen—truly listen—when others speak (and pause before you respond).
9. Notice the feel of something—a fuzzy pillow, a sleek water bottle, your furry pet.
10. Reach for some crayons and fill in the designs in a coloring book or draw on a blank piece of paper.
11. Focus on one memory and try to hone in on the details of that moment or situation. What did you feel?  What did it sound like? Can you recall any colors?
12. Seek out acoustic versions of songs to hear familiar music differently.
13. Paint random shapes on a canvas.
14. Count something—sheep, clouds, cracks in the wall, imaginary characters, anything.
15. Play the alphabet game. Identify whatever objects are around you, starting with the first letter of the alphabet, moving to the next letter, and so on. (No, it doesn’t need to be on a road trip.)
16. Let yourself feel your difficult emotions. Try to name the emotion and locate where you feel it in your body.
17. Lie on a picnic blanket outside and watch the clouds pass by.
18. Fully taste a few bites of the food you’re eating without multitasking.
19. Walk outside and see the colors, smell the smells, hear the sounds, and feel the air on your skin.
20. Sing—in the shower, in the car, on a walk, or anywhere.
21. Sip a cup of tea or coffee and feel the warmth of the mug between your hands.
22. Set a five-minute timer to lie down and stare into space.
23. Doodle in a notebook.
24. Hide your self-view on a video call so your attention is more focused on the conversation.
25. Turn on some music and move your body in any way that feels expressive.
26. Hum to yourself while you fold laundry, work, or run errands.
27. Give yourself a foot or scalp massage.
28. Set a goal to move even 1 percent slower throughout your day.
29. Feel your feet on the ground while walking.
30. Journal your thoughts.
31. Smell a flower and come up with words to describe its scent.
32. Observe your cat, dog, or other furry friend be playful.
33. Fold your laundry slowly, noticing how the fabrics feel in your hand.
34. Do a 5-minute yoga practice.
35. Listen to yourself as you breathe in and out.

Additional contributors: Calin Van Paris, Renee Schettler, Terri Bacow, PhD., Amber Burke