Thinking of inner peace elicits the images of monks meditating atop snowy mountains or yogis mid-Vinyasa. But, while this may be their version of ‘nirvana,’ there is way more to inner peace.
In reality, finding inner peace enables you to approach life with a collected and refreshed mindset. Because your sense of stability emanates from within, you’re not shaken by outside problems. You don’t allow things to get to you. Instead, you maintain a steady and clear mind, even when faced with hardship or adversity.
But, like a muscle that needs to be flexed and used so that it doesn’t atrophy, inner peace takes effort too. The great thing is, it can be attained by anyone regardless of age, gender, or religion.
Here are the habits that will help you achieve inner peace and confidence:
1. Be Grateful, Always
It’s easy to be swept up by the pressures that come with a job and personal life. Taking time to count your blessings can be life-changing.
Gratitude bolsters well-being. By viewing both your good and bad experiences from multiple angles, you can assess situations more objectively. Besides, even when the experiences are negative, you’re able to see beyond the disappointments and view them as learning experiences that will help you grow.
2. Breathe
As continually busy adults, we often get used to taking shallow breaths that barely fill our chests, let alone our bellies. These shallow breaths are linked to stress.
Proper breathing is vital for our well-being. Breath is, however, oft-overlooked because it’s easy to do and free. But proper breathing has multiple benefits; for instance, it helps reduce stress levels and bolsters productivity.
3. Plan Your Days
Planning your time gives you a sense of control. When you know what to expect, you’re less likely to veer away from critical tasks, or feel overwhelmed.
Whether you choose to jot your plans on paper or track your time via a mobile app, having a plan, and monitoring how you spend your time are essential things to do for inner peace.
4. Be Open to Detours
Sometimes even the best plans don’t pan out, and that’s fine. You can diligently plan, but that doesn’t guarantee that your projects will work. Don’t allow that to frustrate you, though. Instead, embrace the outcomes, even when they go against your expectations. That way, you learn, you grow, and you plan better next time.
5. Find Relaxation Techniques that Suit You
Self-care has been redefined by brands to mean expensive face masks, scented candles, and spa days. While these things can be relaxing, they are not for everyone.
You should, therefore, seek a relaxation technique that reinvigorates you, whether it’s reading a book or taking a walk outside.
6. Embrace Silence
For anyone used to the busyness of urban life, silence often feels like a chore. However, there is inner peace to be found in the serene. Like most people, you may feel awkward when everything is quiet, but allow yourself to relax and relish the tranquility. The silence might be what you need to put yourself in a better state of mind.
7. Bolster your Physical Health
For you to achieve inner peace, your body needs to be in great shape, too. For you to take good care of mental health, you also need to take good care of your physical health so that you’re equipped to handle life’s curveballs – your mental health is directly linked to your physical health.
So hit the gym, keep off junk food, eat your vegetables, and stick to your doctor’s appointments. They are vital for your overall health, so you shouldn’t see them as a chore.
8. Tidy up Digital Clutter
Just like cleaning your physical environment is vital, it’s equally important to monitor and filter the content that you consume online.
We now basically live in front of our screens where content streams in and out in seconds, which makes it easy for us to feel overwhelmed. Digital clutter can massively impact your mental state.
So don’t hesitate to unfollow accounts that spew negativity or block social media friends who seem to peddle only negativity stories. You’ll undoubtedly feel lighter afterward.
9. Surround Yourself with People who Make you Better
Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future. More often than not, our friends and family shape our identities and, thus, our life outlook. Unfortunately, some friends and family harbor tones of negativity, and thus continually drag you into their drama.
While you may not be able to cut them off completely, you can make a deliberate decision to connect with people you can learn from and people who can help become better every day. Choose your friends wisely, value them, and keep them close. Conversely, keep negative people at arm’s length.
10. Get Enough Sleep
Caffeine can never compensate for a lack of good quality rest. Missing on a bit of sleep, for whatever reason, may seem trivial, but the consequences of not getting enough rest are far from trivial.
Without enough rest, your mental abilities diminish, you feel constantly grumpy and tired, and these don’t help with your mental health or inner peace. When this happens, the smallest issues can get you to overreact; it makes you feel like you’re always at the edge of a catastrophe.
So when your body signals that it needs a reset, give it the rest it deserves.
11. Enjoy Slower Mornings
Mornings present us with an opportunity to start over and be better. So when getting up in the morning, resists the impulse to grab your phone and go through your emails and social media feeds; this can overwhelm you even before your day starts.
Instead, set the right tone by giving yourself the time to refuel. You may be thinking, “I’m not a morning person,” but you’ll be surprised how great your mornings will be when you’re not inundated with emails and news feeds. You’ll feel more present, more productive, and less stressed – all the markers of inner peace.
12. Cultivate your Sense of Humor
Laughter is one of the best stress relievers; it instantly lights up your mind. Have a conversation with your witty friend who always makes you laugh, or sit down and watch your favorite comedy. Don’t go for more than a day before you have a good laugh; it’s what keeps us sane in a world full of awful happenings.
13. Set Aside Time for Your Hobbies
Allow yourself to relish the things you’re passionate about; otherwise, life becomes unbearably dull, which leads to burnout. It could be a small act like getting yourself an ice cream after a busy day or setting aside time to play your guitar.
The key is finding balance. Knowing when to put your head down and work and when to take a break is what will help you deliver your best work and remain productive in the long run.
14. Accept and Move On
If there are things from your past – things that someone did or said – that are still bubbling in your mind, allow those thoughts and feelings instead of numbing or pushing them away.
When you accept even bothersome feelings and thoughts, they start to lose their power over you. The facts of the incidents may still linger in your head, but the negative emotions soon lose their power.
Once you get to this point, let go like you’re disposing of old clothes that no longer fit you. And channel your thoughts on the present moment or on things that give you joy.
15. Find Solutions to Issues that are Weighing you Down
Whenever you have even the slightest issue bothering you, try to resolve it as soon as you can. Don’t procrastinate; finding a solution releases all tension and stresses that it’s creating.
Most of the time, you know what you need to do, but you just haven’t purposed to do it yet. The more you procrastinate, the more the tension takes a toll on you.
Checkout for a While
Over the weekend, limit your screen time; instead, focus on your hobbies, friends, family, and maybe nature. This gives time to recharge and have a big-picture-view of everything you’re striving to accomplish.
Tomorrow Presents you with Another Chance
Sometimes things don’t go your way, and you have a terrible day. Or unforeseen issues emerge and disrupt your plans. The best way to handle such situations is to simply accept and hope that tomorrow will be a better day. Beating up yourself isn’t productive or useful.
One Thing at a Time
By keeping these five words (one thing at a time) in your mind, you feel less pressured and more focused on your immediate tasks; this brings immense inner peace as well as helps you deliver quicker and better results in whatever you’re doing.
These 15 points elucidate how to find inner peace and happiness. If you want to be happy, we all do, you first need to be at peace with yourself. If you can’t find peace within you, seeking it elsewhere is an exercise in futility.
