The Surprising Link Between Acknowledging Your Feelings and Your NOW Moment

Patricia and Robert van Kooten Author

Do you recognize that feeling of suddenly becoming aware of what you're doing?

You wake up at the same time, make the same breakfast, start your daily routine like making coffee, waking the kids and motivating them for school, preparing yourself for work... running through the day's agenda one more time... In short, everything is on autopilot, and you're doing it without being consciously in the NOW moment.

There's nothing terribly wrong with it, only... you're so focused on following the steps to get through the day that you're losing more and more focus on who YOU are right now and how you actually FEEL?

You're not alone in this. I speak to so many people who also say they NO LONGER KNOW what they REALLY FEEL. Everything has been pushed to the background by the space that our daily obligations take up.

And this is exactly the point where I say: it is TRULY IMPORTANT that you reconnect with what is alive in you NOW!

Let me go a little deeper into this. The moment you are not connected to the NOW, your thoughts are in another moment. In moments from the past or appointments that are still scheduled for the future. We assign all sorts of meanings to these thoughts and link feelings to them that might have been true in THAT moment, but NOW that could be COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

This can give us a distorted view of our NOW moment, because we are in the experience of a different moment and a different feeling than what is actually happening NOW.

So why is being in the NOW so important?

Have you ever thought about the connection the NOW has with our heart, with our emotions and our feelings?

Here is a short story. I live in nature and I'm lucky enough to wake up in the morning to the sound of birds chirping. This always makes me very happy and I have a smile on my face when I get up. But... because one morning I was worried about work that still needed to be done and I was starting to lose track, I got up, made coffee, was already mentally organizing and planning, and drank my coffee without really tasting it. With my second cup, I decided to go outside for a moment because I couldn't figure things out. I walked outside and heard the birds. At that moment, I realized that I had become deeply lost in my thoughts and had completely OVERLOOKED the beautiful moment of waking up in this beautiful place. I could have woken up anywhere without being aware of my location.

And this is exactly what happens when we get stuck in our thoughts, in our heads that are always moving toward a different moment than being in the NOW. By being in the NOW, we open the door directly to the emotions and feelings that are in our HEART.

A little piece of science about the energetic heart

Your heart is your inner compass: Your heart does more than just pump blood. It also functions as a 'little brain' that guides your intuition and sends more signals to your head than the other way around. This makes your heart your most reliable guide.
It brings you into balance: By connecting with your heart, you bring your inner world and your outer life into balance. This connection ensures that you navigate life with more peace and authenticity.
For more calm and clarity: When your heart and your brain work in sync, you immediately experience more emotional stability and mental clarity. This helps you to make decisions that truly suit you.
From reaction to awareness: This connection teaches you to no longer react from old fears, but to act from the wisdom of the NOW moment.

By being in the NOW, we get DIRECT access to the feelings of THIS MOMENT.

What does this look like in real life?

Let's take Johan. He is a therapist and works all day with people recovering from burnout. All day, his attention is focused on others, and he feels disconnected from his own feelings. "I talk about what's good in others, but it feels like a rehearsed line I'm just reciting, and I feel like I'm on autopilot... I feel less and less connected to what I need." He starts going outside for a moment between each session. A short walk in the park across from his office, to reconnect with himself. He slowly starts to regain contact with his own feelings, and in his heart, he feels that he loves being outside. There is a bench there, and after a few days, he also goes outside during his lunch break to be in the park. The awareness slowly returns of how important it is for him to take care of himself, and not just others. He increasingly gets his own creative ideas back and finds more and more joy in what he does.

Do you want to try it yourself?

Let's keep it simple. Here's a short, easy exercise you can try right now. No special places, just here, in the NOW.

Think of a situation where you need to make a decision. Don't overcomplicate it; keep it simple, especially if this is your first time trying this exercise.
Once you've formed an answer in your mind, gently place your hand over your heart.
Take a few deep, conscious breaths, inhaling slowly and exhaling fully, and keep your focus gently on your hand resting on your heart.
Now, ask yourself the same question you just answered again.
Ask your heart if this is the right answer for you.
Be open and aware that you might receive something completely different from within – a subtle feeling, a gentle nudge, a sense of lightness or heaviness.
Take a few more calm breaths in and out and sit quietly for a moment with the information you have just received.

This is the authentic connection between your logical thinking from your head and your intuitive feelings from your heart. Trust this connection and try out the information you've received! By doing this exercise regularly, you'll notice yourself increasingly steering your life towards what YOU truly desire and what genuinely aligns with your authentic self.

This is What the Course is All About

I created the 'Living in the NOW' course because I know how many people walk through life feeling overwhelmed and disconnected.

You're doing everything you're supposed to. You're ticking boxes. You're keeping it all together.

But inside? You're craving a moment of peace that... feels real.

The course is full of simple, guided meditations like the one above. You'll also get a printable workbook (think of it as a journal with structure and heart) to help you reflect and reconnect with yourself—gently and without pressure.

It's practical. It's non-preachy. It's designed for real people with busy lives.

Next time:

In the next post, we will talk about the constant doing—and what happens when it starts to drain your energy, productivity, and joy. We will cover:

How we can get emotionally stuck by systematically suppressing everything.
How the connection with the NOW can actually improve your focus (yes, really).
How to turn the connection between everything you "still have to do" into "joy."

Read the next post here.

What if your life feels like a NEVER ENDING TO DO LIST?