Overbooked schedules, tight deadlines and busy social calendars — in all this hustle and bustle, it can be difficult to pay attention and enjoy what matters. In response, the “slow living” movement offers ways to live life in a more mindful manner. Here are a few ideas about how to become more present, so that you can wholly focus on work when it’s time to work and on relaxing when it’s time to relax.

Examine your habits

How present are you in each moment of your life? A great way to figure this out is to keep a journal. Every night before you go to bed replay your day, writing down everything you did and any recurring thoughts you had. Don’t read back on prior entries until a week has passed. At that point, read through all your entries. Create a list of your top 10 distractions and then schedule time during the upcoming week to take action to resolve them. See how this works for you, and get into a new habit of becoming conscious of what distracts you and finding ways to deal with your distractions proactively.

Get things in order

Stuff accumulates. Junk mail, bills, email, old receipts, unused trinkets, stale food — these are just some of the things we must purge ourselves of regularly, otherwise our lives become cluttered. If you arrive home after work and are greeted by a pile of neglected bills and junk mail, how can you focus on relaxing?

Depending on your current level of disorganization, getting your life in order may require a serious time commitment. But it’s well worth the effort. Make a point of setting aside time one weekend to purge yourself of everything that’s unnecessary, from the growing bag of recycling in your kitchen to the old sweaters stored in your closet. Afterwards, prevent accumulation by getting into a routine. Schedule time every week to clear your desk, deal with junk mail…basically anything that piles up. You’ll be surprised to see how clearing clutter from your life enables you to focus more on the moment.

Reevaluate your schedule

Are you stressed by an overbooked schedule? If so, take a critical look at your schedule last month and analyze how you spent your time. How many of those things did you enjoy doing? See what items you can remove. It is okay to say no to commitments that you are not excited about. It is also okay to schedule time to do nothing. Some of the most inspired experiences happen when you let the moment take you where it wants, rather than always sticking to a plan.

It’s all about following your heart

Although modern life has a lot of benefits, all the extra technology and information is associated with speed, and oftentimes speed infringes on our enjoyment of daily living…that is, of course, if we let it. In the end, deciding to live slowly is really about opting for the best of both worlds: learning how to take advantage of technology and innovation while simultaneously staying present in the moment.