Why losing track of time has helped me feel more present?

A lot of the stress in my life I’ve found comes from me dwelling on the past or worrying about what comes next.

But there have been brief windows in my life where all else is forgotten apart from what is happening that second.

And it’s complete peace.

Something feels right.

I’m writing this after just finishing watching Mid90s again, highly highly recommend the watch.

For the characters in the film that moment of peace is skateboarding.

You are emerged deep into the character's backstory and struggles so you begin to feel the pain they feel but also those moments that they can escape and you feel the joy riding their decks brings them.

Gliding down the highway with the sun setting and their baggy clothes flapping in the wind, all their troubles are a thing of the past and all that matters is that ride.

You are forced to be present.

Why?

Because you’ll crash.

Similarly, for me as a kid, it was parkour.

I’m sure it was a way for my parents to get an energetic kid off their hands for a few hours.

But at the time it was everything.

I had to focus there and then. I had to face that moment and be present otherwise I’d catch some concrete to the chin.

Time flew by. I loved every moment of it.

So much of my early memories are rooted in that culture and I learned a lot from it.

What I get lost in now is screenprinting and reading.

It’s the combination of the focus and commitment it takes to complete them that keeps me present.

I can't tell the time when I’m doing these activities and I don’t want to.

All my attention is on them at that point.

I found something that made me feel lost in the moment and I forget about all the usual stresses in my life.

I didn’t know at first that these brief windows were so important to my fulfillment.

I started to observe what I lost track of time doing Ian’s held onto those activities.

I make time to do them more.

I feel like nowadays there is this push to reach a constant state of happiness. But I don’t even know if that’s really possible.

Life will bring its ups and downs. That is guaranteed.

To me, it’s about finding those brief fleeting moments that feel like complete bliss and joy.

They don’t last forever.

So I cherish them and appreciate them whilst they last but I also take a note of what they are and try to do more of them.

Try next time you do something that you lose track of time doing. Make a mental note to yourself to do more of it.

You’ve found something that keeps you present.