Sometimes, we might feel like our life is rushing through, overloaded with duties and responsibilities. Life’s hurdles make it appear like it is more of a chore, and ‘living in the moment seems like a tricky business.
Especially in 2020, since the undesired Covid-19 virus has turned the world upside down, finding peace, calm, and happiness amidst all the chaos can be tricky. However, we can learn how to dodge these bullets and shun the constant need to achieve success by following some steps.
The adage goes, “The pursuit of inner peace is more important than the search for happiness or success.” We must give time for ourselves and find the inner calm to move forward. In this article, we have mentioned three ways by which you can teach these values. Read on!
1. Meditation
It is safe to assume that meditation has many health and psychological benefits. Some of these include decrement in anxiety, depressive thoughts, and reduced cortisol levels. Meditating can go a long way in bringing you peace and calm if work or your personal life has you stressed out.
It’s a method where you can spend a silent period in concentration and smooth out the jumbled thoughts making a mess in your head. One of the best things about meditation is; you can practice it anywhere, whether you are waiting for an appointment at the doctor’s, traveling in a car or bus, or sipping some evening tea on the balcony.
You can perform this technique by spending a short time of ten to fifteen minutes in a simple seated stance with your eyes closed. Follow that up with steady inhalation and exhalations before you open your eyes again. If you are new to this topic, you can follow a guided meditation video with a calming background soundtrack on YouTube to lull you into a blissful state of mind.
“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless – like water. Now you put water into a cup; it becomes the cup; you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle; you put it in a teapot, and it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow, or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” – Bruce Lee
2. Gratefulness and Contribution
Being grateful can help anyone achieve satisfaction and a happy state of mind. It allows you to understand and appreciate your blessings instead of distressing over the things you don’t have. It shows how you are luckier than the people who have it worse and eliminates the idea of self-pity, which is indeed destructive to our minds.
You can practice gratefulness by listing down all your skills, loving people, and material possessions. Constantly go through that list to remind yourself about the positivity in your life.
You can also learn gratefulness by contributing to those in need. Take some time to volunteer at a charity or visit an orphanage or nursing home. If you love animals, you can stop by an animal shelter or adopt a few abandoned pets!
Putting your time and energy into helping someone gives you a sense of positivity, and you can help yourself indirectly. Doing something kind for someone without expecting anything in return is therapeutic. While feeling at peace, you might also find your purpose in life!
3. Activity
Spending time in leisure and activity with peers and family can also help you become more mindful and cheerful! Whether it is a long walk on the beach in the warm sand and mesmerizing sunset with a close one, a soothing, healthy family dinner, or a bike ride across the scenic part of town, it will give you a break from your usual routine and unclutter your headspace.
These might sound a tad bit cliche, but they are effective. You can also indulge in entertaining activities involving communicating with others. You can have a fun dance night or attend a yoga class with friends. You have creative liberty! As long as those activities promote meaningful conversation and allow you to break free, they can drain out your stress and make you feel more optimistic.
“Do every act of your life as though it were the last act of your life.” – Joseph Goldstein.
If you find peace in solitude, you can ride to a scenic destination like a lake or hill station (that is not crowded) and bask in the beautiful sights of nature as you recollect positive thoughts and memories. According to experts, a good relationship with nature and its beauty deeply connects with happiness.
Peace is a passive state of mind, not a destination you must chase. No matter your situation, you can strategically let go of your stress and anxieties if you put in conscious effort. There are countless ways to achieve this incredible sense of mindfulness and harmony; these three ways are a few. Practice the steps given in this article consistently, and you will find yourself calmer and more collected in a short period!