This is an Inside Job

It is the holiday season, and the word Peace figures prominently in cards and greetings. But where are we to find peace? Is it something that is given to us? Or do we have to find it somewhere?

While we might find peaceful scenes in nature, or enjoy a peaceful afternoon with a good book, the experience of peace is something we cultivate within ourselves. It’s an inside job.

The world around is full of chaotic situations, and the media amplify this feeling by focusing on wars, dissent, and bad news 24/7. If we subject ourselves to hours of social media and television each day, cultivating a feeling of peace might seem impossible, or perhaps even naive. Is it even appropriate to feel peaceful these days?

But to feel peaceful, to have your inner state be free of worry, stress, and malice is possible, not naive, and absolutely appropriate.

But how do we cultivate peace in these crazy times?

To create a peaceful state within requires practice, and like any skill, improves over time if practiced consistently. The following tips are my suggestions for creating a peaceful heart and mind:

1. Limit your exposure to news and social media. They make money by scaring the pants off of us, making us angry, and inciting fear and stress. I like to think of this approach as staying “barely informed.”
2. Begin a simple stillness practice. Even just 5 minutes at the beginning of your day, sitting quietly, focusing on your breath, helps. If that feels too odd, listen to a guided mediation to help quiet your mind.
3. Create a nook in your house to be your “peace base.” A chair in the corner of the room, a big floor pillow, or other simple place can be your retreat. Make it comfy, with a blanket, a candle or scented oil. Is there a quote or saying you especially love? Can you print it out and put it in your peace base? Let that space be where you go when you need to reconnect with a sense of peacefulness.
4. Get outside. The more we isolate ourselves from nature, the less peaceful we feel. Yes, I understand that it’s winter, but being outdoors, looking at trees, grass (even if its brown), clouds, and the sky reconnect us to that of which we are a part. It naturally helps us feel centered and calmer.
5. Mind your mind. Pay attention to the thoughts you repetitively think. Do not entertain negativity in great loops. Did something make you angry as you were running errands? Ok, feel angry for a moment, then let it go. Replaying the situation over and over in your mind serves you in no good way.
6. Look for the good in life. Our hunter-gatherer brains are trained to see danger. It was a survival skill back then. Now, to be train our attention on the negative, doesn’t help keep us alive, it keeps us feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
7. As much as possible, stay in the present moment. I understand the holidays are filled with making plans, which involves the future, but outside of those brief periods, keep your awareness in the Now. Be in your body. Sense your surroundings. Breathe.

I wish you a peaceful and joyful holiday season, whatever you celebrate. If you would like some support with creating a more peaceful mindset, or any aspect of creating the life you desire, please schedule a free 30 minute call for us to explore how life coaching can be the key to progress.