Presence Shift 2: A Brief Reset
Attachment, presence, and the rhythm of a day
A Brief Presence Shift
Take a long, deep breath.
Come into this moment.
Feel the quiet buzz of your body.
Now listen with 100% of your attention.
Hear the sounds around you—the ones you wouldn’t otherwise notice.
That’s always a good place to begin.
And once you get familiar with this, you’ll notice: you can shift into presence just by doing that.
Here though, we move through the steps every time, because repetition is how shifting into presence when you need to becomes second nature.
Step 1 — Answer
Quietly ask yourself:
What kind of day is this for you right now?
Just a word or two.
Notice what’s happening in your body.
Notice what’s been going on for you.
Name it—and that’s enough.
You’ve answered.
You now know where your nervous system is starting from.
Over time, you’ll begin to see patterns here.
Step 2 — Intend
Now gently set your intention.
For the next few minutes, you’re going to shift into complete presence.
It’s one thing to say that.
It’s another thing to feel it in your body.
So feel that intention landing.
Let it register physically.
You’re setting an expectation for yourself.
When you can feel the expectation anchored in your body—step two is complete.
Step 3 — Focus
Now bring 100% of your attention into this moment.
Feeling the moment.
Seeing the moment.
Feeling your body buzzing as part of the moment—connected to it.
There’s no rush here.
All the time in the world exists in the present, because time doesn’t exist the way we think it does when we’re here.
This is why dropping into presence feeds you immediately.
Why it recharges you so deeply.
Why it doesn’t take long, in human time, to come into silence and feel restored.
Stay here for a few breaths.
Step 4 — Flow
From this present state, we allow presence to flow into the rest of our day.
Quietly ask yourself:
What does the next hour look like for me?
Once you have a sense of that, begin to see it in your mind’s eye.
See yourself moving through that next hour in presence—
whether it’s an activity,
continued stillness,
being with people,
loving someone,
doing your work.
See yourself clearly now—your whole, present self living the next hour of your day.
Step 5 — Begin
Now take the very first step of your next hour when you’re ready.
Just the first ten seconds.
Standing up.
Stretching.
Opening your computer.
Making a call.
Giving a kiss.
Whatever it is—begin.
A Presence Shift isn’t complete until you begin the next step of your day from presence.
That’s the real training.
And each time you do this, it becomes more natural to return to presence.
It’s how you begin walking in connection with life—at the pace of your miracle.
We’re all part of something miraculous.
And coming into direct contact with that—fully—is freedom.
It’s coming home to presence.
Take one more deep breath.
In case you didn’t get a chance to listen, in the Presence Shift 2 audio I share some thoughts on how presence intersects with attachment. I recorded sitting outside on a beautiful day, just talking with you to see how you like it.
The wind chimes around me acted up a little bit in the audio. I like to think it was making music with me :) If you notice chimes (or other sounds) as you listen, notice how what you hear shifts your emotional state in real time.
Doing that can teach you some things about your own attachment style by revealing something about the rules you have that determine how you relate to life, regardless of how life is arising for you at this moment.
Noticing—listening to your inner world as it unfolds in real-time—is how we learn about the variations of our own personal emotional patterns that I refer to in Presence Shift 2: Attachment, Presence, and the Rhythm of a Day.
Play it anytime you’d like to get another Presence Shift in.
Have a great rest of your week.
Stay present,
Sean
Sean Sullivan, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist and creator of The Presence Shift®, a science-based, 5-step ritual for presence shifting in real life moments.
Emotional Safety Notice & Warning
The statements on The Presence Shift have not been reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration. This project is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The Presence Shift is not intended as medical advice or as a replacement for professional health or mental health services.
Some content may be emotionally provocative, including references to abuse, trauma, grief, and other difficult experiences. If you are not feeling comfortable, please stop until you feel safe again. You can explore getting emotional support anytime at wannatalkaboutit.com—or by calling 988 in the United States or your local crisis line.