TEN IDEAS TO BRING CALM BY REBECCA COOKE
We live in a society and world that can be overwhelming and stressful. We can have a tendency to overwork ourselves and neglect to give our minds and bodies what they need.
Sometimes the root of this can be something simple as managing to wind down and find some peaceful moments of calm.
In this week’s blog I invite you to take some time out of your day, even if it is just 5 minutes, to allow yourself to try and find calm and inner peace by trying all or one of the following ideas.
1. Listen to your environment
One way to tune out the noise in your mind is to tune in to the sounds around you. This can be done in many different environments and does not have to take longer than a few minutes. Simply start by closing your eyes and focusing purely on the sounds around you. Whether that be a chirping bird, the sound of rain on the window, or the whirring of a fan. “Allow your ears to simply receive whatever sounds arise,” recommends Nancy Colier, author of The Power of Off: The Mindful Way to Stay Sane in a Virtual World.
2. Accepting what can’t be controlled
Life is unpredictable. From time-to-time various challenges will surface, complicating your daily routine and leaving you anxious, drained, or even afraid. Ignoring those feelings to just get on with things generally doesn’t help, either. Suppressed emotions can intensify, leaving you far less calm down the line. Acceptance, on the other hand, often does make a difference. Research shows that accepting your own thoughts and emotions is an effective strategy. You can also practice cognitive reframing by reminding yourself: “What’s happening right now won’t last forever. In the meantime, I’m doing my best.” “This is a tough situation, but I can get through it.” “I feel miserable right now, but I won’t always feel like this.” It’s natural to want to turn away from pain, so it can take time to get in the habit of acceptance. But as it becomes more natural, you’ll likely find yourself feeling calmer.
3. Focusing on the here and now
You can find calm by being in the present moment. Most people live in the past with past events circling their mind non-stop or panicking about what will go wrong in the future. When things around you are stressful, focus on the present with hyper focus. Trying grounding techniques which can be done in any location. Take your feet out of your shoes and just let yourself feel the ground beneath you. It will help you feel present and aware of your surroundings providing a sense of calm.
4. Journaling
Journaling can help you process and express emotions you might otherwise keep inside. Writing, of course, won’t get rid of your troubles. But you might find that committing them to paper helps ease some of their emotional weight and transforms inner peace from an exception to more of a rule. Bringing a sense of calm into your life.
5. Access nature
Natural environments, green spaces in particular, can ease emotional distress and foster feelings of inner calm and peace of mind. Spending time in nature can help you have peace of mind and find calm by soothing worry, anger, or fear, easing stress and promoting relaxation, enhancing feelings of kindness and social connection, and improving concentration and focus.
6. Laugh a lot
Life can be challenging enough, and ultimately, the best thing you can do for yourself is to find the beauty in your life. It’s okay to laugh, even at the silliest of things. Laughing has been proven to be the best medicines for stressed and struggling individuals. Contact your friends and arrange a meetup. Watch a funny movie on Netflix. Have a wine night with your friends. Basically, just find humour in even the most mundane things. A calming feeling is often gained from a place you never expect to find it, and sometimes, that’s from a place of humour and laughter.
7. Social media detox
Social media can cause you to fear that you are not living your best life and comparing yourself to your friends’ stories and posts will disrupt your inner peace. You don’t necessarily have to do a complete social media detox for a week or a month. However, every once in a while, it’s best to take a break from your social media platforms. Doing this helps you gain control of reality and find peace of mind and a sense of calm. Social media can be a facade, and you may fail to differentiate what’s real and what’s not.
8. Deep breathing
When you focus on your breathing, your mind’s attention is drawn to the life-enhancing process of drawing in air and exhaling. Take five long, deep breaths and focus on your lungs and diaphragm as you do this. This is a quick and easy way to instantly feel calm.
9. Visualised Meditation
We’re never not thinking about things. This is why meditation is one of the best things we can do for ourselves to achieve some sense of peace in our lives. Meditation gives you the break you need from the noise of your thoughts. After taking a few deep breaths, close your eyes and picture yourself calm. See your body relaxed and imagine yourself working through a stressful or anxiety-causing situation by staying calm and focused. By creating a mental picture of what it looks like to stay calm, you can refer back to that image when you’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious.
10. Listen to music
Music can have a profound effect on both the emotions and the body. A slower tempo can quiet your mind and relax your muscles, making you feel soothed while releasing the stress of the day. Playing calming music is great when you’re feeling overwhelmed or tightly wound. Listening to some soft soundscapes, instrumentals or nature sounds can help soothe stress and induce relaxation by slowing your breathing and heart rate, lowering your blood pressure, and reducing the body’s levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.