In last week’s article we talked about what sabotages your inner peace. Today the focus is on what you can do to get that inner peace back.
There are several ways to go about finding or reclaiming your sense of inner peace. The funny thing about what I’m sharing with you today is that as I was writing I realized just about everything that was landing on the page was something my mother had said to me more than once. I probably didn’t listen much when she was telling me, or at least I didn’t act on what she was telling me at the time but as I get older I find it amazing the amount of mother’s wisdom that comes back to me when I least expect it.
So here you go … Tips on finding inner peace, the way my mother taught them…
1. Slow down and count to ten.
There’s a reason my mom taught me this. It works. Slowing down your mind when you’re stressed and lacking in any sense of peace by doing something simple as counting to ten really does work as a way to calm yourself down.
Once you’ve got yourself calmed down just that tiny little bit, you can usually hang on to the peaceful feeling long enough to deal with whatever got you riled up in the first place.
2. Go for a walk.
There’s something about walking that will help you find peace no matter how slim the thread is. Whether it’s just the fact that you’re moving and have time to process what you are dealing with and how you are feeling about it, or the soothing nature of being outside, it really does work. Even if you can just get away for five minutes you will feel that sense of calm and peacefulness making its way back into your system.
3. Don’t take everything so personally.
It’s a sad fact that once of the biggest saboteurs of our inner peace is that we allow what other people say to get to us. As a child I had really bad buck teeth, and other kids made fun of me all the time. I had no inner peace because I took all their teasing to heart. That led to a miserable childhood because I took whatever anyone said about me so seriously that I lost my sense of self as well by trying to be what everyone else wanted me to be.
It took me a long time to learn that other people’s opinions of who I am and what I do are just that … their opinions. I still have days where I take things too personally, but most of the time now I am able to maintain my peace by realizing that what other people say reflects their issues, not mine.
4. Find one good thing.
My mom taught me to look for the good in every situation, but she wasn’t very good at doing that herself. By watching her and how she dealt with problems, I found out for myself that by actively looking for something positive to take from a problem or setback, I was much more peaceful inside than I would be if I picked everything apart and focused on what went wrong.
It may be the littlest thing, like a flower peeking up from a crack in the sidewalk, a baby’s smile, or even a butterfly that triggers your inner peace. You’ll know it when it happens because it feels like the world has just shifted, and you just sigh in relief and say thank goodness that’s over.
5. Don’t be a drama queen (or king).
Drama and inner peace do not go hand in hand, despite what Hollywood filmmakers would have you believe. The more you avoid the drama in other people’s lives, and especially in your own, the more peaceful you will be.
There will always be some drama in your life, but how it affects you is totally determined by your reaction to it. If you come at it from a place of peace and serenity, then you will find that you will be able to deal with whatever is happening more calmly than you would if you let the drama of the situation take over.
And if you find yourself getting caught in a situation where your peace is threatened, well…. See point number one again… Slow down, take a deep breath, and count to ten.
Thanks Mom!
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