Amid the hustles and bustles of this modern world, getting inner peace can seem like a far-fetched thought. The American Psychological Association reports that 75 to 90 percent of doctors’ visits are because of stress-related diseases like heart disease, liver cirrhosis, accidents, cancer, and lung issues.
However, while everything around you may seem chaotic, inner peace and happiness are a personal choice.
You have to pursue peace and joy like you do money and all these other fleeting materials.
To help you get started on this, here are six ways to experience inner peace and enjoy life.
#1 Focus on the things you can control
Every alcoholic anonymous meeting begins with a prayer that says, ‘God grant me the serenity to accept things that I cannot change…’
Every day you will face situations that are beyond annoying. Maybe it’s your spouse leaving their clothes on the floor, or perhaps some guy cuts you off on the road. All these are the actions of other people, and you cannot control them. You can allow them to ruin your day, or you can decide to let them wash over you like bad weather.
#2 Spend time in nature
Human beings naturally want to interact with the environment. Ideally, you should be nurturing, protecting, and experiencing nature as a way of life. However, many modern people spend three-quarters of their day in the office and the remaining quarter enclosed in their homes.
While we would all love to go hiking and camping every day, it is not all that possible. Spending time in nature for you could mean going to your backyard to watch the birds or trim the flowers. It could also be as simple as watching or spending time in your backyard water fountain.
Outdoor water features for the backyard, such as fountains, add humidity to the environment and filter the air. Science now shows that having a water fountain in your backyard can improve your health and boost your mood. The sound of water also soothes and relaxes your mind, which enhances your peace and happiness.
#3 Be true to yourself
So many people are living lives that are a betrayal to themselves. Maybe you are in a job that you hate, or you married the wrong person to please your family. Perhaps you are driving a car and living in a place you can’t afford because you want to impress your friends.
Your life on the outside may look fantastic, but you are struggling to find peace and joy at night. “Life is too short to live for other people“. The only way you will indeed be happy is if you make decisions that are true for you and enjoy them.
#4 Remember your purpose
A recent poll by Gallup, shows that a whopping 85% of employees hate their jobs. This is because the majority of people work for money instead of purpose. When kids finish high school, they are advised to take courses that will bring them more wealth instead of happiness.
Quitting your job may not be a solution if you don’t have a backup plan. However, you can still do what you love on the side. If you love writing, spend an hour or two in the evening writing.
#5 Take care of your health
There is an alarm in every human that goes off when you are not taking care of yourself. You know that overwhelming guilt you feel after downing a full pizza or staying a whole year without exercising? You may try to silence it, but the alarm continues to go off and taking away your inner peace.
Eating healthy foods, exercising, drinking lots of water, and staying away from people and things that stress you is the only way to silence that alarm.
#6 Meditate
Meditation and other mind-body practices like yoga and tai-chi are a surefire way to find peace. As you focus on what matters and get a hold of the inner chaos, you find that emotional and mental balance. Yoga and tai chi also help to release stress and calm your mind.
You may not have time to go to the yoga studio every day, but you can still meditate. Find 2 minutes after you park the car in the morning to sit there and have some quiet time.
True happiness and peace come from knowing who you are and staying true to yourself. Take some time to do the things that make your heart glad and bring you joy.
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Thank you, Dima! This post was sooooooooo helpful. I have been trying to either work in my garden when it’s warm enough and not raining or go for a walk in the woods or even a jog in my neighborhood. I’m trying to stay calm. Your first suggestion about focusing on what we can control is so important, but I sometimes forget it. Take care xo
Allison Cohen recently posted…Perricone MD Cold Plasma Plus Sub D Neck: A Firming Cream for Neck and Jawline
You are welcome, Allison!
We ALL need this now, not only for ourselves but also for the sake of our children and families.
Good to know that you are doing well, gardening is a great way of fighting stress, and so do walking.
Take care you, too xo
Dima Al Mahsiri recently posted…Habits that Boost Inner Peace and Happiness
Great tips! I have been living an unhealthy life for quite sometime, binge drinking, consuming calories rich processes food and not doing my workouts properly and it started showing on my health. There was always a constant bloating heavy stomach and felt drowsy and weak. Now given away whit sugar, processed foods are off-limits, 10 K runs regularly have become a part of my life. Now feeling a lot better and healthier.
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