Hands up if you want more time?

As an advocate for Positive Mental Fitness, part of getting mentally fit is about improving your ability to focus on one thing…and one thing only. One benefit I have noticed about training my brain to do this regularly is that it creates the feeling of opening up more time.

So often we go through our days without noticing. We are blinkered by the ordinariness of every day.

Practising being present gives you heightened awareness. When you’re fully present, you experience life with greater depth and clarity. This heightened awareness makes ordinary moments richer, allowing you to savour experiences instead of rushing through them. Time feels more expansive when you’re not constantly thinking about the past or the future.

One area where I capture time now is every time I walk on our gravel path in the garden, I consciously focus on the feeling of the stones under the soles of my feet. It keeps me in the present beautifully.

And it turns out, practicing presence and mindfulness can indeed create a sense of having “more time.” Here’s why this happens:

1. Heightened Awareness

When you’re fully present, you notice and appreciate details that might otherwise go unnoticed. This can make moments feel richer and more fulfilling, as if time has expanded because you’re genuinely engaging with it.

2. Reduced Mental Clutter

Our perception of time often shrinks when we’re preoccupied with regrets about the past or worries about the future. By focusing on the present, you free your mind from this clutter, creating a mental spaciousness that feels like more time.

3. Improved Focus

Multitasking and distractions can make time seem to fly by, often without a sense of accomplishment. Mindfulness encourages single-tasking and focus, making each moment more productive and satisfying.

4. Enhanced Enjoyment

Being present allows you to savour experiences rather than rushing through them. This deeper enjoyment can make moments seem longer and more meaningful.

5. Flow State

Mindfulness can help you enter a “flow state,” where time perception alters. You might lose track of time, but paradoxically, the time spent feels fuller and more valuable.

6. Stress Reduction

Stress and anxiety can compress your sense of time, making you feel rushed. Presence reduces these feelings, which can make time feel more abundant.

Practicing mindfulness—through meditation, focused breathing, or simply grounding yourself in the now—can shift your relationship with time from scarcity to abundance.

If you’d like to learn more about how to practice presence drop me an email and I can let you know more about the online Positive Mental Fitness Bootcamp – 6 weeks to increase the time your mind serves you as opposed to sabotaging you.

Ways we can work together:

Coaching packages to help you transform your life start from £25 per month.

• Monthly 1:1 sessions, face to face or via Zoom, including unlimited email access and weekly themes to inspire and challenge.

• The Mum Boardroom – monthly or bi-monthly 2 hour group coaching sessions via Zoom (or face to face in Oxfordshire)

• Positive Mental Fitness Bootcamp – 6 weekly videos and 30 min Pod group meetings via Zoom – book your place