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What is Inner Peace?
Inner peace is that feeling of contentment. It is that experience you have when you are free from anxiety, worry, stress, and negative emotions in general.
Your mind hushes, and leaves you in a beautiful, still space – like the beauty of an absolutely still pond at sunrise.
You don’t need to be feeling ecstatic, or extremely happy.
No, to me inner peace is more subtle. It’s less about a passionate fire and more about a beautiful, subtle warm feeling that spreads in your body.
How can you get to this place of inner peace?
Well the first thing is to understand what is inner peace. It is being fully present in the moment, and non-judgemental. One of the key foundations of inner peace is mindfulness – the idea of being fully present, aware of all your senses, without any sort of judgement.
This also helps combat the monkey mind – the series of incessant thoughts that play in the background of your mind. These thoughts generate emotions, which you aren’t even aware of; they’re just under the surface, bothering you like an itch you can’t quite reach.
As you embark on this journey in search of inner peace, remember this: you aren’t creating inner peace. It is already inside you. You just have to uncover it.
There are a few ways to combat this monkey mind with its itchy emotions and blah feelings that detract from the beautiful inner peace you have in you.
So let’s get started!
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Inner Peace – 10 Things to Start Doing Today
- Meditate
It clears the mind and helps you focus on nothing. Which is really hard, and that’s why it is called a meditation ‘practice’. However, as you practice it daily, it will get easier to go into that fluffy space of nothingness, where you just see thoughts, say ‘hi’, and release them back into the space of fluffiness.
Plus, it has a million (okay, I admit that’s an exaggeration) benefits that you can read all about here!
2. Find your inner happy place
What brings you joy? What thoughts instantly lift you up? This could be thinking about your partner, or your dog, or your favorite music. What instantly lifts your mood? Create your happy place. Dream about the future. Ponder the wonderful moments in the past.
You can create your reality.
3. Me-Time
I found this one of the biggest pillars of my inner peace. When I know I have found time for myself, I automatically feel so much better.
In the rush of the day, it is so easy to obsess over to-do lists, freak out about deadlines, frantically finish up chores, and try to please everyone at the same time. You get done with today, then tomorrow, and then the week, and all of a sudden you realize – WAIT, where did my life go?
That feeling DEFINITELY does not bring about inner peace.
But when I take out some time for ME every day, I have that inner knowledge that no matter what my day looks like, I know I have time for myself – where I don’t worry about to-do’s, tasks, chores, or people. I just do something for me. I live. Essentially that’s what life is about, isn’t it? I mean, I’m certain we were not put here on earth just to finish to-do’s and please everyone all the time. What’s the point of THAT?
4. Adopt an Attitude of Gratitude
If there is one ‘formula’ to happiness, it is this: be grateful. Unless you figure out how you can be grateful now, you will never feel grateful even when you have a private jet made of diamonds.
And that is why so many ultra-rich people are unhappy.
By finding ways to be grateful each day, you are cultivating a sense of contentment and happiness. And THAT’s when you start also discovering that inner peace.
READ: The transformative power of gratitude!
5. Release your emotions
Holding onto negative thoughts and emotions doesn’t help anyone – and it certainly does not help you.
Find an outlet where you can vent all that is going on in your head. This can be through talking to a friend over coffee (or wine), having a daily journal practice where you can write everything that is on your mind, or talking to a therapist.
Choose whatever works for you, but have some space where you can just release all your emotions.
6. Be Mindful of your thoughts
Your thoughts make u pyour reality.
Have you ever heard that saying? Well, it might sound cliche, but it is very true. So be mindful of your thoughts.
Are you complaining, grumpy, judging, hating, and pessimistic? Or are you grateful, loving, accepting, and hopeful?
This also includes the thoughts you have towards yourself! Self-loathing helps no one, and definitely does not cultivate a sense of inner peace. Plus, hating yourself will never actually change anything for you.
7. Practice being present
When you are all go-go-go, it is nearly impossible to feel content in the moment. How can you find peace when you are worried about the future and overthinking the past?
That’s why – GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD!
Sorry, had to get your attention, because I know how much we are living in the past or future. But try being in the present. Notice everything you see around you. Engage your senses (remember, you have 5 – how many are you using right now)?
What do you see? What do you hear? What can you smell? What are you touching right now? What is it’s texture? Are you eating or drinking something? What’s the taste?
Observe all these things, and be present. Just living in the now is such an easy, “duh” thing to do, but boy, it can REALLY have a huge impact in cultivating that inner peace.
8. Go out in nature
Ah, the beauty of nature. Some of life’s biggest lessons are learnt in nature.
Furthermore, Research shows that nature has immense benefits on our mood, mental health, and even our physical health!
Nature helps reduce anxiety and stress, boosts creativity, and generates a feeling of overall happiness.
So, if you want to feel that warm fuzzy peaceful feeling, then just step outside your house for a bit. Go for a walk outside or go to a park. If you hate the outdoors, you can even bring home a plant!
9. Don’t Compare
So you know that thing called social media?
Yeah, that’s not so great for your inner peace. As you constnatly stare at others’ highlight reels and filtered faces, you start comparing. And then you start putting yourself down. But, may I just share a small suggesstion?
STOP THAT!
Stop comparing. You are you. You are amazing, and unique and awesome. It isn’t fair to compare your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s perfectly-staged moment.
And to be real, you can’t do much about it regardless. So you might as well accept you and your amazing cells, so that you can really start finding that peace!
10. Live According to Your Values
Your personal core values are your priorities and beliefs – essentially, they are a representation of what you find is most important in life.
Hence, when you live according to your personal values, you live in alignment with yourself. But when you live in misalignment, you are living in conflict – your actions are conflicting with what you truly think is important.
This conflict results in frustration, anger, discomfort, and overall feelings of unhappiness.
So if you want to find that inner peace in you, you have to identify what your personal core values are, and then live according to them.
What step stood out most to you? Share below!
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This was great. Each day I find my happy place and I indulge in me time. I try to be optimistic because I don’t like feeling down and negative. I have a positive out look and I know there is someone that is having worse than me so I try to remain grateful
That’s such a good practice! Be gentle! If negative emotions come up, i recommend feeling them rather than trying to push them down because what you resist persists. take care
I need to remind myself to do these tips thanks for sharing
Take it slowly! Consistency is key 🙂
These were all really good tips – the one I need to work on is 7! xo Nipa
Nipa | Fashionipa recently posted…How To Wear A Shacket This Winter
Thank you! Glad you found it helpful 🙂
Wow! This article truly was something I needed to read. It just kept me reading. I even opened up two of your other blogs mentioned in this one! I am a sucker for self-help books, articles, and tips. I recently have learned about Me Time, but I think I may try some meditation as well!
Thank you so much for spending some time here! I am so glad you enjoyed this article! Meditation is a REALLY good way to start taming the mind and invoking some calm – let me know if you have any trouble, I’d be happy to help you!
Such wonderful advice! Love this post!
Thank you!
Meditation and practising gratitude are things that have helped me a lot find that inner peace. These are all great tips! Love this post!
Those two are so powerful. Thank you 🙂
I love this post. I realised Im guilty of many of the things you mentioned. I especially find myself comparing to others on social media way too often-so it’s something that I definitely need to work on.
Be gentle on yourself as you notice these things. You are doing great. I recommend deleting the app or using this app called StayFocused – works really well to limit social media usage.
I love all the tips you have! Me Time and mindful Meditation have definitely helped me!!
thank you! Those two are so powerful!
Being in nature and being present are the two that are calling me to work on the most. I went to the beach last weekend longing for the nature. It was so hard to be present with my five kiddos running from the beach to the tent over and over again. I think I need to just go in my small backyard and stare at a leaf. LOL
The beach sounds so nice! hahaaaa that works too! You bring up a good point: we can be present anywhere, it doesn’t have to be fancy or out in the beach. We can enjoy nature in our backyard, be grateful for the small things, and feel abundant with a coffee.
Love this! Inner peace is a “beautiful, subtle warm feeling that spreads in your body” – such a wonderful way to put it. Great tips!
Thank you! 🙂
I liked your description of inner peace. It’s the feeling I strived for when I began my personal development journey. Excellent tips. Meditation and emotional release are usually my go-to methods.
staying at home and doing something creative is always my happy place. creating something that will give value and inspire other people gives me joy. I love your post. thanks for sharing
I love creating too! It’s so relaxing, and just gets you in the flow! You’re welcome! xx
Definitely, compare ourselves with others it the worst mistake anyone can do. We just have to learn love ourselves and be grateful for what we have and proud of how far we have come.
I agree! I felt so good when I deleted Instagram for a month, lol. I was so much kinder and more loving towards myself!
Gratitude, meditation and going outside in nature are definitely my favourite ways to calm my mind and find peace. They help me so much with my anxiety too 🙂
Absolutely! I’m glad you found the things that work for you <3
Thank you for sharing these tips! I definitely need to remind myself to do these on a daily basis.
You’re so welcome! I am so glad that you found these helpful!
Really great tips!! Thanks for sharing 🙂 Can’t wait to implement them.
Thank you! Let me know how it goes!
Me time is so important! I try to make time to do a face mask, have a glass of wine or catch up on a show I love
OH Those sound so good! That would be my perfect night lol
Being present is such a key element, and not necessarily a difficult change to make. I try to make an effort to set my phone down when I am cooking dinner. Not having that distraction helps to make sure I don’t burn the food, lol, but I also find myself feeling less stressed and better able to focus. Just because we may be able to multi-task, does not mean it is beneficial to our well-being.
Great reminder and tips on finding inner peace. I particularly find practising gratitude helpful for me to stay calm and content with myself. Thanks for sharing!
Lovely ideas, definitely agree. Gratitude is the most important..
thank you! Indeed it is so powerful 🙂
Great post! Mindfulness is the thing that really makes a difference for me. I started doing yoga during the pandemic and it has helped SO much!