Emotional Resistance – The Hidden Hurdle to Presence!

Be Here and Now

Time is like a river – always moving and flowing forward, never backwards. We only have NOW. So it only makes sense to not waste it.

If we could make every thought, every action conscious by our presence, we would be using our time efficiently and leading a life of meaning and fulfillment. As discussed in my last blogpost, The first step is to notice that you’re distracted, and then take a pause. This pause is an chance to drop the resistance.

What does Dropping the Resistance Look like?

For me it means asking –

• what am I fighting in this moment?
• what am I resisting?

Immediately my shoulders drop, I let out a sigh of relief and answer comes to me.

It could be that I’m avoiding rest. I’m pushing hard for ticking off the items on my to-do list because “there’s so much to be done!”. It could be that I feel resentful of a particular interaction or uninterested in the task at hand.

Acknowledging how I feel instead of ‘resisting’, without judgment is liberating.

The next step is to accept how you feel. This could be ‘anxious’, ‘unmotivated’, ‘resentful’, ‘reluctant’, ‘not interested’ or ‘overwhelmed’ in the task at hand or the current interaction.

Now, investigate. Why do you feel this way? What would you be rather doing?

If this task/ interaction is a non-negotiable, how quickly could you wrap this up without expending too much of your physical. emotional and mental energy. Are you able to switch over to doing what actually makes you feel come alive, what you actually love doing?

My 5-Step Presence Practice:

1. Pause – Stop and take a breath
2. Identify the Resistance – What are you fighting or avoiding?
3. Acknowledge It – Name the feeling (e.g., anxious, unmotivated, resentful).
4. Accept It – Don’t suppress it. Let it be.
5. Manage It – Ask
   • How can i wrap this up quickly and conserve my energy?
   • Can I bring in something I love to make this feel better?

Get Creative with the Mundane

We are meant to be joyous beings. Doing more of what you love IS the answer to being present. If I don’t feel motivated to cook, I’d find a fast to cook recipe and put on some jazz. And just like that, cooking isn’t so much of a chore anymore!

Think about it

What’s one small way you can bring joy or creativity into something you have to do today?