Bringing Peace to Your Daily Routine
By: Jaron Pak
“Can I please just get five minutes of peace?” Everyone asks the question from time to time. You may even think about it multiple times each day. While it can be difficult to simply wish the stress away, it’s certainly possible to slowly and carefully integrate elements of peace into your life.
When done thoughtfully, a constructive attempt to incorporate positive elements into your day-to-day can be the perfect way to create a lasting sense of peace in your life. With that in mind, here are a few suggestions for simple yet powerful ways to bring peace into your daily routine.
Address the Stress
If you want to establish peace, one of the first things you need to do is address the stress and anxieties that surround you. Addressing your stresses isn’t done by controlling or eliminating everything. On the contrary, stressors are normal parts of life that stem from the very things you love.
Parents are stressed out by their children, spouses by their significant others, and so on. However, that doesn’t mean you must resign yourself to the stress either. Instead, here are several ways you can address the way you react to the tensions that continually swirl around you:
- Practice deep-breathing techniques.
- Go for a walk — or find another form of exercise.
- Find a fulfilling hobby.
- Take a nap.
- Use essential oils for aromatherapy.
Begin by incorporating de-stressors into your daily routine to help you relax and focus on the moment.
Consider Your Surroundings
Your surroundings can have a significant impact on your stress levels as well. One way to embrace peace is by inviting it right into your home’s decor. Start with your bedroom by setting it up as a calming, relaxed zone for sleep. Declutter everything you can, hang blackout curtains, set up that essential oil diffuser, and make sure the atmosphere is peace-oriented in every way possible.
Next, take your efforts into the rest of your home. Consider embracing hygge or a minimalist mindset that naturally advocates for peace. Look for areas of your home that you can specifically dedicate to mindfulness as well. In general, remember that your goal is to create a space that helps rather than hinders your peacekeeping efforts.
Win the Mental Battle
When the stress mounts, it can be helpful to take some time to slow down, take a few of those deep breaths, and consider what is happening in your inner thoughts. If you can win the mental battle, everything else becomes more manageable.
Begin by considering how you’re approaching the stressful situation. Ask yourself if you’re overgeneralizing, catastrophizing, or even jumping to conclusions. Are you using any other negative thought processes?
Next, remind yourself of the good things that you have around you. Strive to practice gratitude and do your best to maintain a positive perspective of your situation. Are you dealing with stress from school or feeling the holiday blues — or both? It can be helpful to remind yourself that, rather than being stuck dealing with these things, you are blessed to have the opportunity in the first place when so many others cannot.
Focus on the Physical
Along with the mental battle, it’s essential to focus on your physical body. If you’re suffering physically, it can often rob you of daily peace. A few suggestions to help you live a healthier lifestyle include:
- Exercising — going for a walk was already mentioned earlier. Whatever the method, though, find a way to get that heart rate up.
- Resting — napping, sleeping in, going to bed early; however you do it, get that precious rest.
- Cook at home more often — culinary pursuits in the kitchen can be rewarding for your body, soul, and pocketbook.
- Limit the alcohol — drinking doesn’t lead to peace, but it most certainly can undermine it.
However you go about it, the name of the game here is to get healthy!
Unplug at Times
If you’re always feeling stressed, sometimes the best option is to create a little distance between yourself and the world for a bit. One of the easiest ways to do that is by unplugging from all of the technology.
You can do this by taking a social media/internet break, or you can go hardcore and avoid the news, television, and even the radio. As you unplug, take the time to very purposefully rein in your thoughts and just be in the moment.
Build Peace Into Your Day
While peace can’t be wished into existence or purchased, it can certainly be cultivated. If you take the time to incorporate things like unplugging, creating peaceful environments, and caring for your mind, body, and soul, you’ll be able to tap into that well of peace daily.
