Being Present: Can Childhood Trauma Make It Hard For Someone To Be Present?

One thing that is often spoken about in self-development is the importance of being present. In some cases, this is seen as the answer to every problem and, in others, it is just seen as something that will allow someone to function better.

So when someone is present, they won’t be caught up in what happened in the past and they won’t be caught up in what might happen in the future either. Their attention will be in the now.

An Illusion

It has been said that there is no such thing as the past or the future and that there is only an ever-present now moment. Even so, someone’s mind will create the impression that there is a past and a future.

Therefore, while there will only be the present, someone will have a mind that won’t be able to accept this. One way of looking at this would be to say that their mind has to be this way or else it wouldn’t have a reason to exist.

Embracing Life

When one is able to live a life where they generally live in the present moment, they won’t be weighed down by what has happened in the past or caught up in what they think might happen in the future. They will be in the now, which is the only place where they will have any power.

Also, through being in the moment, they will be able to focus and to fully show up. Their awareness is then not going to be in their head, focusing on something else – it will be in their body, in the present moment.

Another Benefit

What they are also likely to find, as a result of living in this way, is that it is a lot easier for them to respond to life. Being in their body and in the now moment will mean that they won’t be caught up in something that took place last week or last year, for instance.

If they were, not only would it stop them from being able to be present, but it could also cause them to overreact to something. Another person could politely ask them something and they could end up losing it.

A Pleasant Experience

Being this way, then, will stop them from getting worked up and having a go at someone for no reason. This is naturally going to have a positive effect on their relationships, with the people in their life knowing that one typically won’t get worked up over nothing.

These people can feel comfortable around them and know that it is safe for them to talk to them about most things. One is not going to be seen as someone who is unstable and expects other people to walk on eggs shells around them.

Staying Centred

If they did have the tendency to get worked up, it probably wouldn’t do their health any good in the long run. Thus, being present is going to make it easier for them to make good decisions and it will be easier for them to stay calm and relaxed.

Another part of this is that when there is unrest around them, they won’t need to get pulled into what is taking place. Once again, this will be good for their health and their ability to think rationally in such moments.

A Very Different Reality

Although this is how some people will experience life, there are going to be plenty of others that have a very different experience. For someone like this, they may rarely be in the present moment.

Most of their time could be spent thinking about what took place in the past and what might happen in the future. This will show that they find it hard to be in their body and to be in the now moment.

Unaware

Nonetheless, it doesn’t mean that one will realise that this is what is taking place. Instead, they may typically believe that what is taking place in their mind is a reflection of what is taking place exte
ally.

What this means is that one is going to be projecting what is taking place in their mind onto the exte
al world without even being aware of it. Living in this way is likely to take a lot out of them, with them spending a lot of time feeling exhausted.

A Closer Look

It could be normal for them to overreact and to create unnecessary drama, to feel fearful and scared when they are completely safe, and to think irrationally and to make poor decisions. It could seem that they just need to learn how to observe their mind and to not get caught up in what is taking place inside them.

This could be it, or what it may show is that they are carrying a fair amount of trauma. If one has been this way for as long as they can remember, it may show is that their early years were anything but nurturing.

A Rough Time

During this stage of their life, they may have experienced some kind of abuse and/or neglect. The view that they have of the world and the people in it as an adult will be a reflection of what it was like for them as a child.

It won’t matter how many years have passed since this time in their life as they will still be carrying the trauma that they experienced. Until this is dealt with, it will be more or less impossible for them to embrace the present moment.

Awareness

If one can relate to this, and they want to transform their life, they may need to reach out for exte
al support. This is something that can be provided by the assistance of a therapist or a healer.