Creating Inner Peace

Like many these days, I’ve made “self-care” a priority. A big part of that is working on my inner peace. Recent life events have tried to tear my mind to shreds, but I’ve noticed that overall, I’m getting better at handling stress and minimizing inner turmoil. Though there are still certain things that trigger my anxiety like work challenges and dealing with difficult people, I’m happy to say I’ve experienced a shift in my ability to keep my cool. I even got a parking ticket the other day for a rule I’d never even heard of and was able to be thankful I have the ability to pay it vs. that it happened.

Ultimately I think I’ve grown tired of reacting to life. Constant emotional ups and downs are exhausting and I’ve worked to get to a place of emotional evenness. If you’re struggling with maintaining inner peace, some of the work I’ve done that‘s been very helpful is outlined below.

• A good portion of my focus has been my thoughts. I’ve asked myself:
• What am I giving mental space to?
• Is this a healthy thought? If not, how I can move past it or reframe it?
• Does what I’m thinking about need to be a priority right now?

And most importantly…

How is this thought making me feel?

In addition to monitoring my feelings, I’ve become conscious of my physical reactions to people and spaces. When feelings of anxiety, tension or even fear arise, whenever possible I eliminate or decrease interaction with those people or environments.

Recently I was invited to a get together with a few colleagues and opted out. I knew there would be people there I didn’t want to be bothered with. I no longer feel obligated to give my energy and time to events I suspect will leave me feeling drained. And on the flip side, I try to increase engagement with welcoming people and spaces. Seeking out pleasurable experiences is important in keeping your peace.

This is just some of the work I’ve done, along with exercise and some breathing exercises, to create and maintain more inner peace. What are some things you’ve done to create more peace in your life?