How to Calm Our Minds - Simple Things Anyone Can Do to Bring Inner Peace

In today’s world, I think most people are struggling to feel at peace. Our lives seem to be filled with never ending to-do-lists. We chronically rush around, rarely feeling present anywhere we go. We often feel stressed, or overwhelmed.

It has become normal to be busy all day long and barely be able to catch a wink of sleep. Our brains are firing 24/7 and we get very little rest from the constant movement.  

Is there anything we can do to bring calm to our minds and a sense of inner peace to our hearts?

YES!

Let me share with you FOUR things you can do to help youself ease stress and increase the feeling of calm and peace in your life.

1- Reduce the amount of stimulation and information you let in.

I am putting this one first because I think it gives us more time for the other three suggestions to follow. We spend so much time looking at screens we never have time for the things that really help. What I am suggesting is you turn off the news. Quit watching so much TV. Stop scrolling social media. Decide! Our nervous systems cannot handle all this stimulation and information. Take less of it in and you will immediately feel relief.

2- Slow Down!

Stop trying to fit so much into your days. Life is not a race. You don’t win if you get there first. There are no prizes for accomplishing the most. Learn to say no. Create gaps in your day where you don’t have anything planned. Pause. Don’t overload your plate. Make space! Remind yourself that down time is essential for a balanced life and a balanced mind.  If we are always running around doing ‘stuff’, our minds are always busy trying to keep up.  Learn to slow down. Take rests. Have a cup of tea while you let the sun hit your face for five minutes. Call an old friend and shoot the shit for half and hour. Take a slow walk along the beach or in the forest, or at a park. Not for exercise, but just to enjoy the fresh air. Get outside in nature. Listen to the birds. Watch the sunrise or sunset.  Even take a nap in the middle of the day.  A long shower or bath. Indulge in down time. Schedule it into your day if you have to!!!

3- Learn to feel your body and be with your breath.

This can take a bit of time to learn to do. This is one of the benefits of developing a Yoga practice.  The body and the breath are both amazing anchors to become aware of the HERE and the NOW. If you pay attention to the body and the breath you will learn to anchor your mind in the moment.

The thing about learning how to do this, it does take practice. You may need guidance. But once you have a connection to the body and breath they are incredible tools to help you get out of your head.

4- Do something for fun!

Get engaged in a creative activity. Find something you like to do just for fun. Not to be productive. Not to gain fame. You don’t even have to be good at it. Remember what it means to play around. For the sake of having a giggle. Or to discover something new. We have got caught in always having to be practical. Pious. Efficient. Successful.

Try painting. Or writing a poem. Dance, sing, or write a story.  Doodle. Draw. Make an arrangement of flowers. Bake a cake. There is a part of us that wants expression. When we tap into it, we feel connected, more at peace; more ourselves.

You don’t have to do all four of these things today.

Just start with one.

The most important suggestion I can make when it comes to any questions in the way of mind and body health is to take small steps, consistently.

It is what we do daily that matters most. The tiny actions we repeat each day become our habits. If we consistently choose to follow any one of these suggestions, even now and again, we will see we are making change in our lives and in the health of both our mind and body.

Once we take those first small steps, we gain confidence. We see we do have the power to find health and harmony within.  These suggestions are quite simple and don’t take a lot of time. It is more about making a choice to revisit these ideas again and again and implement them in your life.

Slowly. One at a time, until all four become a way of life.

When we live in balance, our mind and body is also in balance. Don’t blame yourself for being a part of the rat race. We have been conditioned and educated to be a part of it. There is no one to blame. It doesn’t even matter how we got here.

All that matters is that each of us takes responsibility for how we are contributing to the madness. We have to ask ourselves, why are we holding up this way of living?

As each of us does these things: slowing down, connecting with ourselves, not playing into the drama and fear the media presents, when we appreciate and honor nature, when we heal our bodies and minds, we are creating a more beautiful world; a different way of living.

I so appreciate people who are asking themselves these questions because it means you are starting to understand the answer is inside. That it is YOU who has the power to make this world a better place.

And it is by finding our own inner peace!

Give these ideas a try. You might be surprised at how simple it can be to create the change.

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If you are looking for guidance and support on a path to healing, I offer many different online courses, and in person classes and would love to help you take the next step.

Book a free 15 minute call with me to lay out your next best steps towards health and wellness.