I’ve had times where I’ve found myself without inner peace. When we live in a world that constantly throws obstacles at us and increases our “stress meter”, we wonder whether or not we’ll ever move past it. But how do we do this exactly? The truth is that people have different ways of achieving serenity, but I’d say that everyone reaches it by reflecting on what’s limiting us from being cheerful as well as relaxing our minds and bodies. As for me, I do have my go-to train of throught for achieving peace everyday that might be beneficial for you, so let’s dive into it.
Identifying the Setback
Before starting to strive for peace, I reflect on what’s impeding me from being calm and in harmony. It could be work-related, family problems, friendship breakups, school work piling up… These are some of the many things that bring torment to your life, so ask yourself: Why am I so stressed? What’s making me anxious? Once you identify this problem, you should reflect on why this is affecting you so much and what you can do to cope with it.
Breathing Eases Everything
Stop everything you’re doing and breathe in and out to release your tension. Whatever work, study, or chore you believe you need to finish quickly in order to be stress-free can wait for a few minutes of relaxation. If you postpone breaks, you’re putting your mental health at risk. To picture this prospect, I think of myself as a transparent jar. When my stress levels rise, they fill up my jar with black goo and, slowly but surely, if I don’t try to empty it when it’s half full, the goo will eventually overflow my jar. How will I deal with my anxiety then? When I know I’m feeling uneasy, I simply stop what I’m doing, close my eyes, and concentrate on my breathing, and this helps me release my tension.
You Are Not Alone
Knowing that I’m never alone brings me a sense of assurance, especially when I struggle to deal with my problems. Personally, praying helps a lot in this department since knowing that God is always by my side provides me with an earnest and honest sense of belonging. If you practice a religion or any spiritual belief that aims at achieving peace, I encourage you to search for different ways that connect you with them. And if you don’t, why not talk to your favorite person? Or even have your pet by your side! Having either one of them around in times of need always brings my spirits up. My dog, Cassie, and I are each other’s company when I’m studying. She’ll lay on her little dog bed all day until I’m finished and I take her for a walk. Not feeling as lonely as I normally am during studies definitely helps me.
There’s a Happy Place for Everyone
The next time your anxiety meter is going through the roof I want you to close your eyes and imagine yourself in your favorite safe place. Your feet sink in the soft, grainy sand of the warm beach, you’re laying on your back in your spacious backyard trying to figure out what shapes you can discern from the clouds above, you’re listening to your favorite music while you’re comfy in bed with the AC turned on… Remember that after you’re done dealing with or handling your troubles there’s a happy place waiting for you to enjoy its blissful comfort.
Achieving inner peace takes time, like all good things. The road to reach mental wellness is not linear and you won’t attain it in one day, but learning how to manage the things you deal with in your everyday life is key to having a life of serenity and, most of all, peace.
