I've noticed this extreme 'present' feeling just before giving a presentation or doing a cold approach. Similar levels of high anxiety for me.

I start to notice tiny details in the environment that I wouldn't normally.

Like a corner of one of the carpet tiles on the floor near my feet is sticking up slightly or one of the vertical blinds on the window is slightly twisted.

Or someone coughs at the back of the room and I hear all the tones and vibrations of the cough as they resonate around the room.

I'm not thinking about anything at that point. Simply experiencing what's coming through my senses directly and non-judgmentally.

I would like to be able to be in this state more often. But it seems hard to do it on demand. It needs constant practice I think.

I've read a few techniques in books but I get lazy and forget to practice them.

I am becoming more aware now how much the mind play tricks on us.

We can't control events outside of us but we can learn to control how we respond internally to those events. We can question the beliefs that distort events in unhealthy ways.

Getting to the point where you do not feel you need to control anything or anyone around you in order for you to be happy is definitely the way to go.