Creating Peace in a Chaotic World

There’s no doubt that the past few years have been tumultous. We don't know what "normal" is anymore. And it's understandable that nerves are frayed and tempers are short.

You might feel like you want to lock yourself in your house and never leave, but we must still live our lives, and part of living our lives means facing the world. We can’t hide away from it. What you can do is create the peace you’re longing for…at least peace within your part of the world.

1. Start by surrounding yourself with things that make you happy like fresh flowers, music, candles, and books. Choose one room in your home (or more) to be a sanctuary where you can go to restore your soul. It’s not a hiding spot; it’s an oasis. Pick the things that matter to you.

2. Make a habit of daily exercise. Yes, I know. You’ve heard this before, probably one too many times from your doctor, especially if you’re not active. But exercise will give you something else to concentrate on besides the worries of the world. Not only will your body appreciate it, but so will your mind.

3. Even if you’re hesitant about coming out of your house, do it anyway. Go for a coffee and sit outside a café. Or visit a museum. Go sit in the park and watch the ducks. The last thing you want to do is allow your house to become your dungeon or worse, to get the point where you’re too scared to leave it.

4. Turn off the news and leave it off for at least a day. We need breaks and a chance to detox from the media. Most of us have cellphones, and if there is an emergency, like a tornado, our wireless carriers will send us a warning. So there’s no need to stay glued to your television or computer.

5. Take social media breaks. This might be difficult if you’re addicted to it so just start out by staying away for an hour then two until you work up to a day and then two. Ultimately, you want to get to the point where you can stay off social media long enough for your mind to reset and escape the negativity that permeates practically every platform available.

6. Give yourself permission to find inner peace. Hackspirit defines inner peace as an internalized state of spiritual and mental peace.” It’s something all of us can achieve, but it takes effort. Some people choose meditation; others pray. Practicing mindfulness, being in the moment, helps as does communing with nature. A peaceful walk through a park can be extremely beneficial as long as you don’t allow your thoughts to drift to problems of the world.

7. And finally, take a day off at least once a week from technology altogether. Yes, this means closing the laptop, turning off the Kindle, and even silencing your cellphone. When I was growing up, we didn’t have so much technology so it wasn’t a big deal to go all day without talking to someone on the phone. We didn’t have computers; we went to the library. We didn’t have ebook readers so we read paperback books. This might not sound pleasant at first, but once you get used to filling the hours with other activities, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish.

I know we all have jobs that might require us to be on the computer, and technology is a large part of those jobs. So if a day off isn’t possible, turn off for a couple of hours before bedtime. If social media is a part of your job as well, challenge yourself to step away from it at least two to three hours a day.

Just because we live in a chaotic world doesn’t mean our lives have to be chaotic. You don’t have to try these seven steps all at once. Work with them one at a time until you’re comfortable with them. Soon, they will become habits that can change the way you live in a chaotic world.