Find peace in your everyday life, even if it’s for a few seconds.
We do this peace-sign hand gesture often in poses and although it is very vogue-esque (and my go-to pose 87% of the time), its symbol is something we can always use a little more of. Peace.
Busy bee
During the rush of the day and the fleeting hours of the evening, it is easy to fall into the pitfalls of life and our emotions.
Life does get busy. Sometimes there’s no time to call up a relative, do the dishes, work on that unfinished project or finally begin on a new endeavor. Amidst life’s hectic schedule and current events, it’s no surprise that more often than not, the last person we forget to check in on is ourselves and our mental state.
Confession. I have recently started to dedicate time out of my busy schedule to practice mindfulness and meditation. I highly recommend it! And if you’re reading this, you have the power to change, not just your life in general, but your every single day for the better. Read on.
“Where there is peace, there is neither anxiety nor doubt.“
My journey
For so long, I have known (and have done plenty of research) about the benefits of meditation, reflection and all that good stuff. Somehow even though I knew that it was beneficial, I still didn’t manage to make it a habit.
Before I really committed myself to exercising a state of inner peace, I would only do breathing techniques when necessary. If I felt under stress, I would pause and breathe. Needed to finish up an urgent task, I would pause and breathe. So basically I sought peace and used this technique only when required.
Although it helped, it was short-term and halfwaysies (Is that a word?). The feeling of peace was only temporary because I was not building it into a habit.
Then, one day I told myself that I wanted to feel this calmness every single day. I wanted it to become a practice, not just something I’d resort to on a day when my mood was “off”.
So, I had a realization and shifted my mindset.
Now that I’ve turned on the switch, every day, throughout my day, I try and simply stop. I stop what I am doing. That also means I stop my mind from generating thoughts and more thoughts. It’s difficult to control thoughts, but necessary to not let them go unchecked and unbalanced.
Overtime, it’s become easier to remind myself to devote a few minutes to inner-peace. With that in place, life is more rewarding every day.
“Live a life filled with moments of happiness. Have a positive outlook. Be at peace.“
Benefits
Purposely creating a mindset of peace, practicing mindfulness, and meditating not only gives you better life-coping skills, but it can optimize your overall health.
It can:
- boost your immune system,
- keep you heart healthy,
- increase energy,
- reduce stress,
- improve brain function
Above all, it increases happiness, helps you feel more connected to yourself and others, and helps you reach a state of peace. Isn’t that one of the ultimate goals in life? Just a thought. ^_^
“BETTER THAN A THOUSAND HOLLOW WORDS IS ONE WORD THAT BRINGS PEACE.”
Buddha
Finding peace
How to find peace. The brain is beautiful, but oh how it likes to think. It thinks about important things, yes, but that same brain sometimes can lead you to thoughts that can drain and overwhelm you. You might feel like you always have to be on the move, doing something, thinking about something, just on auto-pilot go go go. We are conditioned to believe this is the way things have to be, but they don’t.
If we don’t watch out and stop the brain clutter, it can lead to our emotions going quickly from good to bad. It can spike up stress levels, and eventually, it can lead to poor health.
Stop. Turn the page and begin anew.
Here is your beginner’s guide to finding inner-peace right now.
Create peace of mind
This is what I’ve been practicing lately. I try and start my mornings like this so that the rest of my day falls nicely into place. It can also be done at whatever time is more convenient for you. Although, I do recommend mornings.
Breathe your way to calm and peace.
Welcome the morning and do a few morning stretches.
Breathe fully. As you stretch, focus on your inhales and exhales. Feel the oxygen filling you positively in your inhale and feel the removal of negativity in your exhale.
As you fill up your kettle with water for some warm tea, focus on the steps. See how the water flows, notice the how the fire burner burns in orange and yellow. I do not recommend coffee this early. Tea has plenty more benefits and works great at keeping you relaxed.
For advice on what tea to drink, click on the link and check out my post: A cup of tea— for health and taste of life
As you wait for the kettle to boil, sit somewhere comfortably. Use only your nose to do a breathing exercise. Slow your breath and focus on your breathing. Try not to let your mind wander, and especially refrain from thinking about your to-do list.
The warm water is ready. Grab your favorite tea sachet or loose-leaf tea. Or prepare a quick, fresh ginger-lemon tea. With your favorite tea ready, drink and taste the flavors. What notes in your tea can you trace?
Eat a nutritious breakfast. Check out the best Oatmeal Recipe ever, click here. Take the time to make it if possible. Wash a few berries, cut some apples, make a delicious bowl of oats. Or make some pancakes if you have the time. Focus on the steps. Enjoy your breakfast.
With intent, get dressed and go on about your day with the feeling of peace and fulfillment.
Voila! A ritual for your day to bring about peace and goodness into both your body and mind. Start your day feeling fully present.
Easier said than done
Even now, sometimes the only time I can create peace of mind is in the evening. I am a morning person and I am trying my hardest to slice a piece of peace in the early hours before looking at my phone, checking Instagram and before starting my work day. As with everything else, to make something a habit, we need to practice daily until it becomes second nature.
It will take practice. But do not give up.
Stay happy, stay healthy.
