How important is serenity to your life?
Nowadays, it seems like everyday there’s yet another crazy thing going on. Times are hectic, we’re all a little stir crazy due to Coronavirus. There’s no better time than the present for having some serenity in your life.
Serenity means being in a state of calm and having a feeling of peace. The funny thing is that sometimes serenity can seem like a luxury afforded those who don’t have to deal with the daily struggles of “real” life.
It doesn’t have to be like that. You’re worthy of having serenity now. You can manage your stress before your stress manages you by implementing a few lifestyle habits that encompass your body and mind.
Read on for 10 ways to achieve serenity:
Be grateful and practice having an attitude of gratitude every day. A gratitude practice will help you focus on all the things you’re happy about in your life at this very moment. Make a list of 10 things you are grateful for everyday for 30 days and see how good it makes you feel. After those 30 days are up, consider making a gratitude jar. You can take those very same lists and cut each item into a slip, place all the slips into a jar, mix them up and you have a gratitude jar. When you’re feeling down, pull out a slip and remember what you’re grateful for.
Do your best with what you have while being patient and working for what you want. In life, we can’t always have exactly what we want as soon as we decide what we want. Do you dream of living a life totally different from your current one? Do you want to travel the world while living a laptop lifestyle? Don’t despair, get to work! You can go to your day job do your best, then use your spare time to work towards making your dream come true. That helps avoid feelings of resentment and dissatisfaction from a life wasted.
Practice acceptance…it’s important to understand that you can’t control others. The only one that you can control is yourself. For instance, if you notice that when you spend time around certain people you feel overwhelmed or stressed out because they’re manipulative or angry? Accepting the fact that it is just the way they are and move on with your day instead of trying to force them to change. Change how you react as that can bring you peace. And setting boundaries doesn’t hurt!
Positivity is key! Be sure to fill your mind with positive influences – the things that you take in through watching tv, reading or being on the internet can affects how you think and feel over time. Spend too much time watching the news day after day and you risk the chance of becoming bitter and cynical. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s important to stay informed about what’s going on in the world, but you have to balance it out. To achieve serenity and peace of mind, fill your mind up with positive words and educational content that expands your mind and leads you closer to a relaxed state.
Living while surrounded by a ton of clutter really stresses me out! To achieve serenity, it’s important to keep your home organized – It’s hard to relax in a space that has clutter and dirty dishes and clothes laying around. That leads the to stress of thinking about what you should be cleaning instead of relaxing. Your home should be a place you come to and be able to relax and unwind. Your home is a reflection of you.
Clean eating is another way to increase serenity and wellbeing as your body doesn’t have to struggle as hard to maintain equilibrium when served food and drink that nourishes it. Your health starts with food. You can’t live a life of health and serenity while filling your body with toxic, addictive, food like products you get from the typical American diet.
Drink up! Water that is. Water is life. It’s the ultimate fuel for our bodies. You can’t replace it with wine, coffee, tea or anything else and expect to achieve a relaxed and peaceful state. Water is part of all of our cells and can do more than any other beverage to bring about serenity. If you don’t like the taste of plain water, read my previous post that has recipes for infused water concoctions.
Spend time outdoors. Even if you live in the ‘big city’ it’s important to try to take a break during the day and go outside for a walk in nature. Humans are creatures meant to be close to nature, yet many of us are disconnected from its power and beauty. When you walk, do so without your earbuds in your ears or your cell phone in your hands. Instead, use your senses to enjoy the experience. Can’t get outside, the US Forest Service has a nature watch website.
Surround yourself with people that you enjoy being spending time with. As much as possible limit your time with drama queens and poor thinkers. While you can’t always eliminate people that bring you down, you can limit the amount of time you spend with them. Allowing you ample opportunity to surround yourself with people that inspire you. See #3 on boundaries.
Focus on what you want. The more you focus on what you hate, the more you will be put into situations where you are in a place or state of mind that you don’t enjoy. Instead, train your mind to focus only on things and places that you want more of in your life.
Bonus: Practice mindfulness. Being mindful means being aware. Mindfulness allows you to focus on the here and now, which ultimately allows you to appreciate where you are here and now. Leading to serenity and acceptance.
So there you have it, 10 things that you can do to achieve a state of serenity in your life to help you live your best life. It’s all about making time.
Let’s talk, what do you do to instill a sense of serenity in your life? Let me know in the comments section.
Cassandra Martin-Himmons is a trainer, wellness coach and consultant who believes in empowering her clients and providing the tools that they need to make positive changes in their lives to manage their stress and increase their self-care. In her spare time, she enjoys papercrafting, volunteering and travel. Connect with her on Instagram or Linked/In