Table of Contents
Meditate/ Unplug
The core habits of inner peace revolve around moments of simplicity, silence, and awareness.
For building this habit, it is completely okay to start small. Try starting with a few minutes of silence or a short guided meditation session.
Take brain breaks, which is time away from devices or music to simply be in the moment. It can be boring, but boredom is healthy and sparks creativity! There are endless benefits to regularly stepping back and observing.
Journaling
Journaling regularly can be a huge stress reliever. It can also improve emotional intelligence, boost creativity, and give mental clarity.
Again, if you are just starting out, don’t be afraid to keep it simple! Write a few sentences a day or google some prompts if you aren’t sure what to write about.
Having an outlet to express all the cluttered thoughts in our head makes all the difference in feeling grounded throughout the day.
Exercise
Physical exercise is a classic and proven way to reduce stress. It is a healthy way to give your mind endorphins and raise your overall contentment level.
While any method of physical exercise is beneficial, yoga and stretching can be an easy and relaxing habit to bring you peace and mindfulness.
Connect With Nature
Being in nature can boost your mood and greatly reduce stress and anxiety levels.
There are many ways to go outdoors habitually. If you haven’t already, consider picking up one or two hobbies that involve nature. This can be hiking, flower pressing, rock painting, walks, or anything else you can think of!
You can also stack your habits. For example, if you drink a cup of tea or coffee each morning, start sitting outside while you do so.
Practice Positive Affirmations
Your thoughts have incredible power over everything in your life. Practicing positive affirmations is a game changer for improving your mental health and giving inner peace.
Programming your thoughts to be effortlessly grateful and hopeful is life changing. The simple practice of writing, saying, or listening to positive affirmations can give you confidence in yourself and your ability to handle any of life’s challenges.
Take Care of Your Body
(trigger warning: the following sentences talk about food and diet. If you currently or have previously struggled with an eating disorder, please skip over the next short paragraph)
Take some time to think about the food you eat and how it makes you feel. Try to be mindful while you eat and savor it. Having a balanced diet with food you enjoy is a big part of a pleasant life.
If the caffeine you regularly drink is making you anxious, consider cutting down as much as possible. Taking a few vitamins a day can also improve your overall health.
Take Time to Indulge in Creative Activities
Being creative and having fun with hobbies allows us to enter a state of flow. This flow state means you become fully involved with what you are doing, and silences chatter in the mind.
Working on creative projects can also bring us a sense of accomplishment, purpose, and fulfillment! Whatever it is that brings you these feelings, make sure you set aside time to really enjoy it.
Reading
Reading has a long list of benefits that involve imagination, intelligence, empathy, and much more. Whether you are reading a dramatic fantasy novel or a textbook, these benefits apply and greatly improve cognitive functioning.
Regularly Evaluate Your Environment
What kind of pages are you subscribed to on your socials? Do they show you content that makes you feel happy and optimistic? Try to recognize which posts make you feel worse after viewing, and don’t be afraid to unsubscribe/ unfollow the account.
As for your physical environment, get into the habit of noticing the small things. Do you feel safe and comfortable in your home/ room? Do you own and see things that make you happy? If it is messy, could that be negatively affecting your mood?
Make it a habit to occasionally check in with yourself on these kinds of questions, and start making adjustments to improve where you can!
Cleaning
Having a clean home can seriously improve your quality of life. If you have a messy or cluttered living space, it could be making you irritable, overwhelmed, and tense.
If you do not like cleaning, know that it can be a very enjoyable pastime if you shift your view of it a bit. Cleaning and organizing can be meditative and fun! Turning on a show or listening to music can help you get in a flow state and enjoy it.
Turning cleaning into a regular habit prevents things from piling up and becoming exhausting. 1% improvements make the biggest differences in the long run!
Wisely Choose Your Company
Think about the people in your life. How does each person make you feel? Do you feel respected by them?
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”
– Jim Rohn
How are the people in your life influencing you? How can you strengthen your positive relationships?
Practice shifting away from people who have a negative impact on your well-being, and closer to those you wish to be more like and feel loved with.
Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is more important than many people realize. It is our body’s way of healing, recharging, and recovering. When we do not get enough or good quality sleep, it negatively affects our physical and mental well-being.
Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every night. Your body needs a regular sleep schedule in order to stay healthy and happy!
If you have insomnia or a similar struggle, start or continue seeking medical assistance.
Therapy
Trying out therapy is always a good idea. Having a professional to help you work through things and heal is a great way to feel more stable in general.
If you have tried therapy and didn’t have a pleasant experience, all hope is not lost! There are many different types of therapy and many professionals out there. Therapy is not a one size fits all, and it could be that you just haven’t quite found the right fit yet!
Keep Healthy Boundaries
Boundaries are extremely important especially when it comes to keeping your life peaceful.
Practice saying “no” to things you don’t want to do, things you are not comfortable with, or things you know would be bad for you. And while it is important to practice these in the moment, it can be helpful to have specific boundaries in place for any future situations.
Having concrete boundaries will help prevent you from stretching yourself thin and ignoring your own needs. Letting someone know that you always turn your phone off at 9pm is much easier than thinking up an excuse to hang up at 9:30 pm.
So, think about the boundaries you have now, and ones that would benefit you to set and enforce!
Listen to Music
Music often has the ability to help us connect with our emotions on a deeper level than we typically allow ourselves to. This can be very therapeutic and helpful in keeping us regulated throughout the day.
Relaxing music promotes… relaxation. (Is your mind blown?) It can also help us focus and even lower our blood pressure!
While relaxing music is a great day-to-day choice, don’t underestimate the power of a pumped up jam every once in a while! We all need moments to feel our feelings in whatever way suits us.
