How to Find Peace
Take twelve minutes in the morning., Participate in acts that encourage meditation., Take a walk in nature., Grow a green thumb., Commute quietly.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Take twelve minutes in the morning.
Mornings are often full of the activities of getting ready for the day.
Since you just woke up it might not occur to you to take twelve minutes to relax your mind before you start your day.
Science proves that it takes approximately twelve minutes of calm to lower your cortisol, “the stress hormone” in the morning when it is at a high level.
Cortisol impacts the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis.
Instead of turning on the computer or phone to check mail or messages, take a cup of tea outside and clear your mind as the sun comes up. -
Step 2: Participate in acts that encourage meditation.
When you think of meditation, you might imagine sitting on a pillow, legs crossed, eyes closed.
While this is one way to meditate, the truth is you can meditate at any time and, in fact, certain types of activity can actually encourage you to enter a meditative or mindful state.
Try doing something slightly repetitive that doesn't demand too much brain power.
This could be a chore, such as washing dishes, chopping vegetables, or sweeping the floor, or it could be an activity like knitting, coloring, or throwing clay on a pottery wheel.
Find a quiet, distraction-free place to work (turn off the television, etc.) and simply allow yourself to focus on your senses as you work.For instance, if you're washing the dishes, notice how the water feels on your skin and the sponge feels in your hand.
Listen to the splash of the water and smell the scent of the soap.
Don't judge, label, or think too hard about what you're doing.
Just allow yourself to fully experience the moment.
If you find you are distracted by a nagging thought, try writing it down and going back to your activity. , The quietness of nature is a simple way to find immediately silence.
The background noise of the wind blowing, animals bustling about, and your phone turned off, helps the mind to relax on nothingness.
If you decide to take a walk in the woods, leave the cell phone, iPod, or tablet at home.
These noisy devices can become active at any moment disrupting the peace and quiet.
Or, if you live in the city, hiking in open spaces, strolling through the park, or even watching nature scenes on television has proven to bring about a peaceful environment. , Besides the production of healthy food, gardening provides an exercise that has many benefits to finding peace.
First, gardening puts you outside close to nature and, second, it is mostly a quiet, solo activity.
Planting fruits and vegetables will help bring down the stress level.
Fresh air and physical exertion that is a part of gardening has shown to reduce stress, release aggression, and reduce weight while, at the same time, provide pride in your production. , Travel in your car with the music turned off and, instead, reflect on the day’s events to revive a tired spirit and restore peace.
Take a break from cell phones, video games, computers, and other electronic devices while driving to or from work to regain some peace in your life.
Instead of turning the radio off, play specially made music that focuses on meditation.
This type of music usually drowns out the hubbub of the commute and helps reduce stress and bring peace.
Use your commute as an opportunity to bring awareness of your thoughts and feelings without judgment.
This mindful exercise will help reduce the negative emotions of a long commute or the impatience of being stuck in traffic.
While commuting, find an enjoyable activity to pass the time.
You can use your daily commute a period of peace between other obligations.
If you drive, try listening to meditation or classical music.
If you take public transportation, read a book or grab a quick nap. -
Step 3: Take a walk in nature.
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Step 4: Grow a green thumb.
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Step 5: Commute quietly.
Detailed Guide
Mornings are often full of the activities of getting ready for the day.
Since you just woke up it might not occur to you to take twelve minutes to relax your mind before you start your day.
Science proves that it takes approximately twelve minutes of calm to lower your cortisol, “the stress hormone” in the morning when it is at a high level.
Cortisol impacts the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis.
Instead of turning on the computer or phone to check mail or messages, take a cup of tea outside and clear your mind as the sun comes up.
When you think of meditation, you might imagine sitting on a pillow, legs crossed, eyes closed.
While this is one way to meditate, the truth is you can meditate at any time and, in fact, certain types of activity can actually encourage you to enter a meditative or mindful state.
Try doing something slightly repetitive that doesn't demand too much brain power.
This could be a chore, such as washing dishes, chopping vegetables, or sweeping the floor, or it could be an activity like knitting, coloring, or throwing clay on a pottery wheel.
Find a quiet, distraction-free place to work (turn off the television, etc.) and simply allow yourself to focus on your senses as you work.For instance, if you're washing the dishes, notice how the water feels on your skin and the sponge feels in your hand.
Listen to the splash of the water and smell the scent of the soap.
Don't judge, label, or think too hard about what you're doing.
Just allow yourself to fully experience the moment.
If you find you are distracted by a nagging thought, try writing it down and going back to your activity. , The quietness of nature is a simple way to find immediately silence.
The background noise of the wind blowing, animals bustling about, and your phone turned off, helps the mind to relax on nothingness.
If you decide to take a walk in the woods, leave the cell phone, iPod, or tablet at home.
These noisy devices can become active at any moment disrupting the peace and quiet.
Or, if you live in the city, hiking in open spaces, strolling through the park, or even watching nature scenes on television has proven to bring about a peaceful environment. , Besides the production of healthy food, gardening provides an exercise that has many benefits to finding peace.
First, gardening puts you outside close to nature and, second, it is mostly a quiet, solo activity.
Planting fruits and vegetables will help bring down the stress level.
Fresh air and physical exertion that is a part of gardening has shown to reduce stress, release aggression, and reduce weight while, at the same time, provide pride in your production. , Travel in your car with the music turned off and, instead, reflect on the day’s events to revive a tired spirit and restore peace.
Take a break from cell phones, video games, computers, and other electronic devices while driving to or from work to regain some peace in your life.
Instead of turning the radio off, play specially made music that focuses on meditation.
This type of music usually drowns out the hubbub of the commute and helps reduce stress and bring peace.
Use your commute as an opportunity to bring awareness of your thoughts and feelings without judgment.
This mindful exercise will help reduce the negative emotions of a long commute or the impatience of being stuck in traffic.
While commuting, find an enjoyable activity to pass the time.
You can use your daily commute a period of peace between other obligations.
If you drive, try listening to meditation or classical music.
If you take public transportation, read a book or grab a quick nap.
About the Author
Teresa Armstrong
Enthusiastic about teaching cooking techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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