“Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organize your life around it.”
1. Take 5-10 minutes for a simple seated 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.
9. Call someone you’ve denied forgiveness and tell them you forgive them
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
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