40 Ways to Create Peace of Mind
“Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and
organize your life around it.” ~Brian Tracy
There was a time when I thought peace was a
destination, in much the same way I imagined I’d eventually arrive at happiness
or success.
It seemed like something I needed to chase or
find—definitely not something I could experience without dramatically changing
my life.
I needed to work less, relax more, and generally
revamp my circumstances and relationships in order to be a peaceful person.
Despite seeing peace as an endpoint, I also saw it
as something passive—after all, that’s why I was so
stressed: I had so much to do.
I’ve since realized that peace is always available,
and like any desirable state of mind, it requires effort, even if that effort entails
consciously choosing to be still.
Sure, our circumstances affect our mental state, but
they don’t have to control them, not if we make tiny choices for our
well-being.
Admittedly, it’s not easy to choose peace when we’re
going through tough times. I still go through periods when I get caught up in
worries and stresses, and it can feel like that’s the only available response
to things that have happened.
But it’s not. There are countless things we can do
to create peace of mind—both in response to events in our lives, and
proactively, everyday.
If you’d also like to develop a greater sense of
peace, you may find these suggestions helpful:
Meditation
2. Take 100 deep breaths, counting “and one,” “and
two,” and so on, with “and” on the inhalations and the numbers on the
exhalations.
3. Take a meditative walk, focusing solely on the
physical sensations of walking—the earth under your feet, the swing of your
hips.
4. Find a guided meditation on YouTube and let
it lull you into a blissful state of presence.
5. Practice alternate nostril breathing. Hold the
left nostril down and inhale through the right; then hold the breath. Release
the left nostril, hold the right one down, and exhale through the left. Now
start on the left with an inhalation, exhaling on the right. This is one set.
Do up to five of them.
Communication
6. Write down everything that’s weighing you down
mentally and then burn it as a form of letting
go.
7. Write down everything you’ve learned from a
difficult experience so you can see it as something useful and empowering
instead of something to stress you out.
8. Tell someone how their actions affected
you instead of holding it in and building resentment.
10. Apologize for a mistake instead of rehashing it,
and then choose to forgive yourself.
Creativity
11. Engage in a little art therapy; grab some
crayons, markers, or paint and put all your feelings on the page.
12. Create a peace collage. Include images that
make you feel relaxed and at ease. (Google “peace collage” and you’ll get lots
of ideas!)
13. Meditate on your favorite peace quote and
then write it in calligraphy for framing.
14. Take a walk with the sole intention of
photographing beautiful things that make you feel at peace, like a tree
with colorful autumn leaves.
15. Write a blog post about what gives you peace of
mind. (This has been a calming experience for me!)
Activity
16. Get up and dance to your favorite song, focusing
solely on the music and the movement. Get into your body and get out of your
head!
17. Take a long walk on the beach, focusing on the
feel of the sand between your toes and the sound of the crashing waves. Cliché,
but highly effective!
18. Go for a bike ride in a scenic part of town, and
immerse yourself in the calm of your environment.
19. Take 5−10 minutes for stretching, syncing your
breath with the movements (or if you have an hour, visit a local studio for a
yoga class).
20. Declutter a cluttered part of your home,
creating a more peaceful space.
Acceptance
21. Muster
compassion for someone who hurt you, instead of
wallowing in bitterness, which will make it easier to forgive them and set
yourself free.
22. Set aside some time to actively enjoy the good
things about the present instead of scheming to create a better future.
23. Create a list of things you love about
yourself instead of dwelling on how you wish you were different.
24. Focus on what you appreciate about the people in
your life instead of wishing they would change (assuming you’re in healthy
relationships).
25. Recognize if you’re judging yourself in your
head with phrases like “I
should have” or “I shouldn’t have.” Replace those
thoughts with, “I do the best I can, my best is good enough, and I’m learning
and growing every day.”
Solitude
26. Start reading that book you bought about
dealing with the challenge you’ve been facing.
27. Schedule a date with yourself—a time when you
don’t need to meet anyone else’s requests—and do something that feeds your mind
and spirit. Go to a museum or take yourself to your favorite restaurant and
simply enjoy your own company.
28. Sit in nature—under a tree, on a mountain—and
let yourself simply be.
29. Be your own best friend. Tell yourself
what’s on your mind, and then give yourself the advice you’d give a good friend
who had the same issue.
Connection
31. Tell the truth in your relationships. When
we hold in our true feelings, we create stress for ourselves. Be kind but
honest and share what you really feel.
32. Catch critical, blaming,
or self-victimizing thoughts. Instead of ruminating on what someone else
did wrong, express yourself and ask yourself what you can do to create the
change you’re seeking.
33. Have fun with someone you love. Forget
about everything that feels like a problem and do something silly and
childlike.
34. Connect with someone online who can relate to
what you’re going through and create a mutually supportive relationship by
sharing and listening.
35. Let someone into your self-care
routine—ask a friend to join a yoga studio with you, or
invite your sister to jog with you on the beach.
Contribution
36. Volunteer
your time to help a charity you believe in. Put all
your energy into helping someone else, and you will inadvertently help
yourself.
37. Volunteer at your local animal
shelter. Animals are naturally present, and it’s contagious!
38. Do something kind for someone else without
expecting anything in return. If they ask what they can do for you, tell
them to pay it forward.
39. Leverage your passion to help someone
else (i.e.: if you’re an aspiring designer, design a logo for a friend).
You get to get in the zone doing something you love; someone else gets support
they need. A win/win!
40. Leverage your purpose to serve someone else, not
for money—just because. That might mean helping them pursue their passion, or
motivating them to reach their fitness goals. Whatever gives your life meaning,
give it to someone freely.
As is often the case with these types of list, this
can seem a little long and overwhelming. The important thing is that we do at
least one tiny thing every day to create mental stillness.
What helps you
create peace of mind?
Note: As the author of Wondering, I decided to publish this article in its entirety because it was so empowering for me when I first read it and knew it had to be shared. I hope you have found it as inspiring as I did.
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