How To Achieve Inner Peace in Chaos?
“Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.” —Wayne W. Dye.
Every movie you watch suggests that you either have to become a monk or meditate on a mountaintop to attain inner peace. While there’s nothing wrong with that, you need to realize that attaining inner peace is possible, and you can tap into it anytime you wish.
We need our inner peace the most when our life is in a constant “frantic mode.” You are rushing to fill in your weekly groceries, getting a call that you can’t decline, and can’t seem to control the frantic cries coming from your child. It is in moments like these; you need to achieve your inner peace and handle things progressively well.
The feelings of calm, patience, and compassion are nestled deep within your wind, within everyone’s mind. We fail to find it, acknowledge it, and make the most use out of it.
This blog will walk you through some important tips that can help you tap into that inner peace. Some are from personal experience, some from discussions with my clients.
Let’s jump straight into them. Shall we?
1. Inhale! Exhale!
I can’t emphasize this enough, but your breath is what anchors your mind to the present. You could have so much chaos going around in the moment, so much noise that is clouding your mind. But, a simple exercise of breathing can help you tone that volume of chaos and help you regain power over your mind.
“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” – Oprah Winfrey.
And, the fact that the practice of breathing helps us relax is not a made-up social construct. It is scientifically proven.
Deep inhalation, followed by deeper exhalation, stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. It is responsible for inducing feelings of peace and relaxation at the moment. So, essentially, with breathing exercises, you are training your body to relax, despite the ongoing chaos.
2. Visualize the Situation
Several moments in our lives happen unexpectedly. The loss of a loved one, a sudden tragic accident, getting a medical diagnosis, losing your kids in a supermarket, and so much more.
These kinds of situations instigate chaos in our minds because we don’t expect them to happen. They happen out of the blue and leave us feeling helpless, sometimes frantic.
In these moments, there could be a lot of outcomes. But, what you need to do is slow down and visualize. Think about an outcome that is in your control.
Let’s take an example. So, you were driving down to the market and met with an accident out of nowhere. Situations are frantic, and you can find yourself losing your sanity in the moment. Finding your inner peace in such times of chaos seems impossible.
However, this is where you need to visualize the situation. There are two ways this could go. You could sit there in pain, waiting for help to arrive, or you could dial emergency services and get the help you need. It's tough to visualize things in such moments, but that is how you train your mind.
Instead of letting the chaos take over your mind, stop and think about it. Organize your thoughts so that you have better control over the situation.
3. Trust the Process
Your life is a process, and you are a part of it. You make mistakes, you learn, and you grow with them. That’s how we are programmed as humans, and it’s a completely natural process.
However, when chaos ensues, we lose the hindsight of these lessons. We forget that mistakes shape our lives. We forget that despite all that’s happening, our mental strength and control are in our hands.
Life is not rainbows and butterflies, and the quicker you realize that the easier it will become for you to tap into your inner peace and take authority over it. So, even when life throws curveballs at you, you know not to lose hope or break down. All you have to do is trust the process.
No one will dictate your life better than you do. So, even if something isn’t working out right now and you are at your wit’s end, understand that “this too shall pass.”
“When your life becomes challenging, increase your level of organization.” ― Daphne Michaels
4. Focus on Self-care and Acceptance
As human beings, the two most common struggles that we fight every day are not practicing self-care and acceptance. You might emphasize the importance of mindfulness every day, but how often do you stop and practice the small daily life activities that promote mindfulness?
Yes, I am talking about the small things. It could be getting quality sleep at night, eating a healthy diet that brings you happiness, it could be taking wellness coaching to overcome the obstacles you are facing – the list runs long. But, that is the beauty of self-care. You don’t have to do them all. You just have to do what works for you and your mental peace.
When I highlight acceptance, I am talking about the importance of accepting that things are often out of our control. Instead of resisting what’s currently happening because they don’t seem favorable, we must accept them.
However, it is a difficult process. To be able to train your mind and your brain is challenging. This is why you need to practice doing it. Start small. Start with basic situations. It doesn’t always have to be extravagant or life-changing.
5. Take a Break
Burnout is a heavy contributor to mental chaos. You could be working too much and then find no time to recuperate from that chaos that suddenly hits out bad.
It's great to be on that grind and consistently work towards your goals but don’t forget that your mind and body need a break too. You need to prioritize your sanity, de-stress and relax when things get too tough or too overbearing for you.
However, you will realize that it becomes easier for your mind to tackle the chaos with ease when you take care of your stress. And, when you take a break for yourself, do something that relaxes you. Do something that will ground you and revitalize your mind.
So, when you are going back to your work or daily activities, you start with a more organized and peaceful mind that is not overcrowded with a whirlwind of thoughts.
Conclusion
Chaos is a common pursuit of mind, body, and life. There’s nothing you can do to avoid it 100% of the time. However, there are ways in which you can control what happens, and tapping into that inner peace paves the way for that.
As a Mindfulness Practitioner, I understand that discovering and achieving that inner peace is never easy. It comes with a lot of challenges, hurdles, and self-reflection. And, somewhere along the way, you discover a lot about yourself that you didn’t know before.
I hope these above tips help you cultivate your inner peace and make the most out of it. If you are considering practicing Mindfulness, you can join Matrrix’s Mindfulness Practitioner certification program. You can find more events and resources surrounding Mindfulness on https://www.mindfulnesspractitioner.com/.
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