We all have experienced this fantastic mental state, for instance during a vacation or while being deeply absorbed by an amazing book. During this state, we were not troubled by our worries and thoughts. Instead, our mind was calm\u2014we had found inner peace.<\/p>\n
\nThe minute you stop overwhelming your mind with caring about what everyone else thinks, and start doing what you feel in your heart is right, is the minute you will finally feel freedom and peace of mind.<\/em>
\nMelchor Lim<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nBut how can we calm the ocean to invite mental calmness and peace of mind into our life? Even more importantly, how can we maintain a peaceful mind even in stressful and hectic situations or during times of great despair and difficulties?<\/p>\n
How to Find Peace of Mind?<\/h2>\n
The following will present you the most effective and powerful ways to establish peace of mind. Some of it might be unconventional, but if you keep an open mind about it, your mental calmness will benefit greatly from it.<\/p>\n
1. Meditation<\/h3>\n
If you want to create the proper foundation to establish long-lasting peace of mind, then there\u2019s no way around meditation. In fact, if someone were to ask me, \u201cWhat is the most powerful way to create peace of mind?\u201d I would recommend meditation without the shadow of a doubt. It is simply the most effective thing you can do.<\/p>\n
With meditation, I mean in this context not a spiritual practice, but only a mindfulness practice so as to calm your mental activity down.<\/p>\n
According to neuroscientists, the continued practice of meditation can effect beneficial changes in the physical structure of your brain<\/a>. This re-shaping of the brain\u2019s structure helps to activate the part of the nervous system that is responsible for rest, allowing us to better cope with stress. Furthermore, meditation reduces stress<\/a> and strengthens your ability to sustain attention<\/a>. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School also found that meditation can dramatically reduce anxiety<\/a>. The study highlighted that 90% of the participants, who all suffered from clinical levels of anxiety, experienced significant reductions in their anxiety levels.<\/p>\n
But how can you make use of meditation to find inner peace and harmony? All you need is 15-30 minutes a day<\/strong> for the following mindfulness meditation:<\/p>\n
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- Sit with eyes closed, either on a cushion or a chair<\/li>\n
- Make sure your back is straight<\/li>\n
- Focus your attention on your breathing<\/li>\n
- Be aware of the breath as it goes in and out<\/li>\n
- Redirect your focus back if your mind starts wandering<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
You can start with a relatively short period of only 10 minutes or so per day. Doing so will help you to get adjusted to this new exercise. You\u2019ll also notice that after some time of regular practice it will become a lot easier for you to focus on your breathing activity.<\/p>\n
2. Eliminate certain media distractions<\/h3>\n
Media consumption can cause great turbulence within our mind. These media distractions range from television, radio, newspapers and magazines to video games and music. They all have in common that certain types within these media categories can heavily affect your mental state in a negative way.<\/p>\n
Take for instance an action thriller that you\u2019re watching shortly before going to bed. You will notice that your mind is completely restless after the film has ended. It will spontaneously pick up random thoughts or ponder about the plot of the movie. There\u2019s absolutely no peace of mind to be gained from watching such a movie. Watching television has also been linked to feelings of loneliness and depression<\/a> by researchers from the University of Texas.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re really serious about establishing inner harmony it\u2019s important to avoid certain media distractions at any costs:<\/p>\n
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- Avoid certain types of movies, i.e. horror, thriller, etc.<\/li>\n
- Reduce television time, or stop watching TV entirely<\/a>, for the greatest benefits<\/li>\n
- Avoid the news on TV or in the newspaper, 90% of it is negative anyways<\/li>\n
- Stay away from aggressive music<\/li>\n
- Stop playing video games<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
As we are already on the subject, the following should also be avoided:<\/p>\n
\n
- Avoid being dragged into heavily emotional discussions about recent political and societal developments. Discussing it will not solve the problem, but it will heavily affect your ability to find peace of mind<\/li>\n
- Stay away from negative people and negative conversations<\/li>\n
- Learn to accept the things that cannot be changed. Worrying about it<\/a> or even getting upset about it will do nothing to solve the issue, but it will waste your precious time and energy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The above-mentioned tactics to maintain inner harmony are only recommendations. If you are willing to avoid these distractions your mental state will greatly benefit from it.<\/p>\n
3. Learn to forgive<\/h3>\n
Far too often we hold grudges. This emotional baggage accumulates over time and becomes a heavy burden that we carry on our shoulders wherever we go.<\/p>\n
It is important to realize that we cannot make the things that happened undone. Holding on to your anger will only burn you from the inside, not to mention the fact that it will prohibit you from ever finding peace of mind. For this reason, it is so important to learn to forgive another<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Forgiveness is crucial to maintaining inner harmony. It will help you to let go of anger and inner turmoil. Being able to forgive will help you to let go of the pain. Plus, scientists have shown that forgiveness facilitates forgetting, an important skill when you want to establish inner harmony.<\/p>\n
4. Let go of the past<\/h3>\n
The past haunts every one of us from time to time. Thinking about everything that happened and the mistakes you\u2019ve made in the past over and over again will cause great turmoil within your mind. For this very reason, it is so important not to dwell on the past. You cannot change the past. However, you always have the chance to change your situation in this present moment.<\/p>\n
Let bygones be gone. Learn to avoid the evocation of heavily emotional and unpleasant memories of the past. Try to focus your attention on the present situation.<\/p>\n
5. Cultivate patience and tolerance<\/h3>\n
Many times daily we encounter people who do things that we do not approve of. In almost all cases we get so fed up with their behavior that it causes a great and angry storm within our mind.<\/p>\n
Learn to be patient and tolerant of these people. As long as they don\u2019t hurt anybody else it shouldn\u2019t affect your mental well-being. Don\u2019t allow these clowns to get more attention than they deserve. Most likely you won\u2019t be able to change them anyways, so why allow them to disrupt your peace of mind.<\/p>\n
6. Cultivate a certain level of detachment<\/h3>\n
A certain degree of mental and emotional detachment can be of the greatest importance when it comes to establishing inner peace and harmony.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll notice that there are so many people who get easily offended even by the slightest stimuli. They start complaining about the most ridiculous things, write angry letters or let off steam on Internet forums. Don\u2019t be one of them. Learn the important skill of not being offended by everything and everyone.<\/p>\n
A great level of inner calmness can be attained by detaching yourself from things that are simply not worth your attention.<\/p>\n
7. Take a walk<\/h3>\n
Go out in nature and take a walk through your nearest park. The sensation of walking through nature will not only ground you, but it will also help you to calm your mind down. Taking a walk is highly effective, but most people sadly seem to have forgotten its benefits.<\/p>\n
8. Volunteer your time<\/h3>\n
Helping someone else can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life. Knowing that you\u2019ve made someone\u2019s life worth living will give you not only an incredible boost, but it will also help you to find inner harmony and peace. In fact, scientific research has shown that volunteering has a great impact on your psychological well-being<\/a> and your health.<\/p>\n
9. Don\u2019t worry about what others are thinking<\/h3>\n
Another source for mental restlessness can be the fear of other people\u2019s judgment. It might even haunt us so much that we do things we\u2019d rather not do, just to please someone else. However, it is nearly impossible to be everybody\u2019s darling. In fact, you cannot change the way people think about you. So why bothering about it?<\/p>\n
The ability to be not affected by other people\u2019s opinion will greatly help you to find peace of mind in daily life.<\/p>\n
In conclusion<\/h4>\n
Shall we try to draw the quintessence from the advice given in the above? Let\u2019s try to summarize it with a couple of sentences:<\/p>\n
\nPeace of mind can be established by cultivating the skill of not being affected by your thoughts and worries. This skill can be developed for instance through mindfulness meditation, but also other activities that strengthen your ability to focus. It is also important to learn to let go of the past, to forgive others and to develop a certain degree of detachment in order to create the necessary foundation for inner harmony and balance.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
I hope you\u2019ve liked this article.<\/p>\n
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