yes - exercise and meditation work. so does going on a walk and paying attention to surroundings, getting really into a task or a work project or something. Being around animals.

Most of my life has been a feeling of partially being here and partially being somewhere else. It's the way my brain is wired and may not even be related to BP. It can be irritating or not but I think we miss a lot of good things by not being grounded in the here and now.

I done a course on mindfulness. it's about learning to live in the moment and you learn meditation and a bit of yoga
it teaches you how to shut your mind down ( a bit at least) and you concentrate on your breathing
and it helps with a lot of things like racing thoughts , living in the moment , being more aware of what is around you
you should look into meditation

I have ADHD so my mind can really wander and become unfocused. I need to take my med much more often than I do. I always take it tho when I read. Can't get through a book without it. I need the concentration. Especially since I like dense history books. My pdoc says 90% of his bipolar patients have ADD/ADHD so that may be something to think about. But depression in general is enough for you to lose focus and interest I believe.

Yes been dealing with it all my life pdoc and meds help and keeping busy

I have a lot of trouble staying focused, I do have ADD though. My mind wanders and I am a day dreamer. I have little fantasies that run through my head. If people only knew what I was really thinking about! But my ADD meds help me live in the moment, they help me focus on reality and what is going on around me. Being observant has helped me defuse quite a few situations, and be on top of problems that arise. It has also helped me spot liars and con artists a lot easier, so I'm grateful for my ADD meds. I'd rather be attentive than in my own world but I noticed with out my meds I lose control over where my mind is taking me. I do it with out even knowing I'm doing it.

Did you ever drive from point A to point B and wonder how the hell you got there? I mean not remember the sights and sounds of the journey? That is definately not being present to our situation. Our minds are somewhere else completely as we drive so we dont consciously "see" the journey.

However, being present in our moment can be accomplished not so much through concentration but through awareness. When you find yourself thinking ahead or about other things, write them down and stop and "see" what you are involved in at that moment.

I find it much easier now that I take ADHD meds. I spent my whole life living with it and just using coping skills. My pdoc recommended the meds after realizing that all four of my sons are diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. It has helped me focus better and stay in the moment more often. But, it still takes practice as my mind wonders to all the other things going on in my life.

I can totally relate Shelly4. I can especially relate to the last paragraph, I too have adhd and focusing was very hard before meds. As for staying in the present I do meditation and breathing exercises and feel my feet in my socks and my hands at my side or run my hands through water and that helps.

I have this problem huge.. my pdoc tells me Im unaware.. I disassociate tooooo much... and Im a worrier so at those times Im thinking about what's to come..

I am finally making a bit of progress with staying in the moment. I have a bad habit of projecting and thinking about the future, what's gonna happen. I don't really use meditation, but I pray and do breathing exercises. I also use CBT.

I hope it gets better for you. It definitely takes practice.

Living in the moment? Whenever I stop and think about it I feel like I am living in the past. Eating a big piece of chocolate cake, thats living in the moment. If you can engage in something that stimulates your senses, youre living the moment youre in.