Ever have moments in your day where you wonder how you got to this point… Is this it or am I destined for more? Why do I feel so disconnected from everything and everyone?

What does feeling disconnected mean?

Feeling disconnected can mean different things to different people. You might feel as if you have lost passion for things you once enjoyed. You might feel like time simply passes by and you don’t know where it went. It’s almost as if you’re just going through the motions, the days pass by and you feel as if you have nothing to show for it. 
Too often we go through life like this, in a perpetual state of auto-pilot, feeling lost. Life becomes ‘Groundhog Day’ and starts to feel like something that just ‘happens’ to us. We may have some moments of quiet contemplation on the meaning of our lives, but we’re usually too busy trying to manage our health, relationships and careers in a world that offers more and demands more. And we question when, if ever, we’ll get off this hamster wheel.

Why am I so disconnected?

Well, there may be a few reasons. Technology could be one. Looking at our phones is an automatic response for many of us. It’s the FOMO that comes with social media, emails and the latest cat video. But our tendency to check our devices is habitual, even when we don’t need to--when we’re waiting 1.5 minutes for our coffee, when our minds wander during lunch, when a stressful thought enters our mind. We seek solace in disconnection. But it’s too easy to blame technology. The reality is we live in a world where innovation promises to keep us more up-to-date and connected, then why do so many of us feel the exact opposite?
We experience life the same way we experience a drive to visit our parents, not knowing what we did and how we got there. But we’re there. Along the way missing moments of connection to the world around us, each other and ourselves. But we go got there, right?

What if there was a way to feel more connected in our lives?

To the people we share it with, to the jobs we have, the seemingly meaningless interactions with strangers and more importantly to ourselves.
There is a way. It’s called presence. Being here, right now. Body and mind.
When we are present, we find more meaning in our day-to-day experiences. This allows for moments of clear recognition. We can truly be with our loved one, not just physically but emotionally. We can actually taste our food. And when we realise our minds have drifted to a memory of a painful experience or towards the anxiety of something to come, and gently bring our minds back to the here and now, we connect to the present moment.

It is the present moment where all the magic happens.

It’s this space where we realise that we don’t need to add anything or take anything out of this moment to feel whole or complete.

We were never disconnected; we just weren’t present.

I invite you to take the time today to pause. Notice where you are, the sounds that touch your ear, without clouding this moment with judgement or ideas, simply notice. The sounds, the smells, the feelings. Remind yourself that you are part of all of this. That you are present and connected, here and now.

Written by Manoj Dias for 28 by Sam Wood