Finding peace of mind in a troubled and uncertain world may feel impossible sometimes. Yet the stoics have a point when they say that so much of this is within our control.
I believe this too. Having strong and robust mental health, being happy and feeling content are all within easy grasp. But we have to make space and make room to do those things that help us most. They are also usually the simplest of actions and take sometimes daily effort
There are eight Stoic lessons you can learn and apply to feel more tranquil, free, and at peace.
8 ways to find peace
- Don’t suffer imagined troubles – our brains are hard-wired to look for the negative and we do this even more when things around us are uncertain. It is easy to get caught up in a negative cycle and this will be exacerbated by exposure to news and social media. Focus on the present and what is happening right now. Use breathing to ground and centre yourself.
- Accept your own mortality – we tend to try and avoid this yet it is the only certainty we have in life! The sooner we can accept this, the sooner we can use that knowledge to drive us to live life to its fullest and to live to our potential.
- Remember whose opinion matters – For me this is about letting go of what others may think or not think and using our energy to be consistently kind, tolerant, disciplined, wise and understanding. It’s about choosing what to place energy into every day and when we do that, things shift and change positively.
- Schedule stillness in your life – how often do you do this? Most of the time we are rushing from one thing to another and any possibility of a free moment is devoted to our smart phones. Make time for stillness and reflection. Whether that’s through mindfulness or just time when you do nothing – in that space is often the very solution or idea you need.
- Find the beauty in every day life – any time you feel anxious or stressed, try and take a moment. Even if it’s just two minutes. Take a moment to look at the sky, to notice the trees, to be present when your child smiles. Savour the coffee, enjoy sunshine. Do it every day.
Every moment of movement is a chance to become more aware of yourself and the world around you, says Zen Buddhist nun Sister True Dedication. Guiding us through the art of “mindful walking,” she shares three essential questions to ask yourself to awaken your strength, build resilience and discover your inner peace.
6. Take the view from above – most of what we are dealing with often revolves exclusively around our own surroundings. When we can create some distance, it gives us perspective. You can do this by going somewhere different or by simply contemplating the mystery of the universe and the idea that there might be something that is bigger than us and what we may be obsessing over.
7. Live by a code – what are your values? What is important to you? Taking the time to identify these and how they manifest day-to-day is definitely worth it. A code gives you a compass to live by, makes decisions easier and you will be happier as a result.
8. Reflect often – we don’t do this nearly enough. Doing so strengthens self-awareness and enables us to have better and more effective responses to things. Journaling is a great tool for daily reflection.
