How to Stay Present When Everything Feels Urgent

This time of year, I often see my clients juggling too much: finishing end-of-year reports, managing family dynamics, showing up for community causes, and trying to maintain some sliver of self-care. One woman I work with, a longtime caregiver and social justice advocate, put it this way: "Every part of my life feels like it’s yelling at me."

This blog is for her. For you. For anyone who wants to stay grounded even when life pulls in ten directions.

Mindfulness Isn’t Stillness. It’s Presence in Motion.

We often think mindfulness requires calm conditions—quiet rooms, seated meditation, perfect schedules. But real life rarely offers those. In my work, I teach what I call "peace in motion": a way to carry mindfulness with us through the chaos, not outside of it.

Instead of waiting for life to slow down, we learn to slow down internally. Even when we’re moving fast.

Try This

1.) Name What’s Pulling You

Why it works: Awareness is the first step toward peace. When we name the competing priorities ("I’m caregiving, grieving, organizing, and trying to rest"), we stop fighting ourselves internally. How to use it: Take 60 seconds to list every demand on your mind, body, and heart. Try this: Say to yourself, "No wonder I feel stretched."

2.) Anchor to the Senses

Why it works: The nervous system regulates through sensory input. Returning to the body brings us back to the now. How to use it: Touch something grounding (a warm mug, a soft scarf), feel your feet, or take one intentional breath. Try this: Whisper, "I am here."

3.) Ask: What’s Mine to Carry Today?

Why it works: Urgency often comes from trying to hold too much. Clarity creates calm. How to use it: Choose three things that are truly yours to focus on. Let the rest wait. Try this: Lighten your load by honoring your limits.

4.) Create Micro-Rituals

Why it works: Rituals help shift energy. They mark transitions and create pockets of presence. How to use it: Light a candle before writing emails. Touch a bracelet before hard conversations. Sip tea with both hands. Try this: Let the sacred sneak into the everyday.

We don’t have to choose between showing up for others and staying grounded in ourselves. Mindfulness—real, messy, compassionate mindfulness—is what helps us do both.

[Client confidentiality respected: Any examples used are composites or shared with permission.]

References:

Garland, E. L., Geschwind, N., Peeters, F., & Wichers, M. (2015). Mindfulness training promotes upward spirals of positive affect and cognition: Multilevel and autoregressive latent trajectory modeling analyses. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 15.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Bantam.

✨ If everything in your life feels urgent right now, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to navigate it without support.

👉 Here are two self-study courses designed to help you stay grounded, centered, and protected even in the busiest seasons of life.