How the Immediate Surroundings Help Bring You Inner Peace

2020 has been an unpleasant year for a lot of people, to say the least. Stringent health measures have been put in place to address the adverse health effects from the current pandemic. Aside from causing widespread panic, the COVID-19 crisis has burdened people enough for many to experience various forms of stress, depression, and anxiety.

As a result, the concept of “inner peace” and the consequent search for it has become a prevailing theme. Most people realize that inner peace doesn’t have a switch that merely requires to be flipped on or off to start taking effect – Inner peace is a lifelong journey that requires unwavering dedication and commitment.

Finding Inner Peace in a Chaotic World

While many believe that the journey toward achieving inner peace starts in one’s mind, a huge contribution can also come from the immediate environment where people thrive. Once people establish a special connection with their surroundings, they feel a sense of euphoric peace. In these unique moments of inner peace, the mind becomes still, and worries become non-existent. Finally, a heightened sense of awareness ensues -- one that is free from any thought or emotional form.

This state is simply known as “being in nature” or any immediate environment that fosters stillness and silence. It doesn’t have to be a national park or a vacation house in the suburbs. Finding inner peace is possible regardless of if you live in a busy city or in a home with a family, it can occur anywhere that you can find seemingly insignificant objects like a potted plant, cushioned seats, or a peace sign wall clock - whatever makes you feel at ease.

As spiritual gurus and other mindfulness experts have eloquently put it, “looking at the world’s beauties is the first step toward purifying the human mind.”

Benefits of Appreciating “Nature”

Nature can be accessible to everyone, regardless of where you live. The feelings of being in nature can even be brought indoors to help induce calming feelings once anxiety kicks in. The primary benefit of nature appreciation is that it reminds people of their natural state and the quiet place that remains unbothered by the mental noise that is known to invade our minds throughout the day.

Embracing nature enables people to observe their train of thoughts and keep unnecessary mind chatter at bay to avoid stress. In effect, any immediate environment enables those who seek inner peace to be fully engaged in the moment, without any pressing concerns eating away at the mind.

Nature serves as a reminder for us that this state remains accessible. By tapping into their natural state, people are reminded that they were born with everything they need to experience happiness, healing, and inner peace.

Ways to Appreciate Your Surroundings

Short-term

Appreciating your immediate surroundings is one of the most beneficial activities that you can do. When done daily, appreciating your surroundings can effectively reduce stress and increase happiness considerably. Contrary to what others may believe, this activity only requires a few minutes, so it can still be doable in the midst of a busy schedule. Some of the short-term ways to appreciate your immediate surroundings include:

1.) Take a walk – taking a 5-minute walk outside is a great way to start appreciating your surroundings. Walking outside is especially effective if you can refrain from using your phone or other electronic devices and just appreciate being outdoors. During the exercise, you can:

● Observe the surroundings by looking at the sky, the leaves on the trees, and the sounds from the small animals running around

● Listen attentively to the sounds made by nature (the chirping of the birds, rustling of the leaves, and even your own footsteps)

2.) Eat outdoors – Instead of eating inside, at your desk, or in a company lounge, try eating outside. In addition to keeping your electronic devices silent, it’s also strongly advised to refrain from multitasking when you are eating (No reading, texting, or meeting with colleagues). While it isn’t possible to eat out for an entire week, making time to do this as much as possible is ideal.

Long-term

The next level in appreciating your surroundings can come from taking an extended break or vacation. While away, take extended periods of silence, which can bring about peace that will prove to be beneficial in the long term.

Like other mindfulness activities, it’s best to leave behind anything that can prevent your mind from being present with your surroundings. While reading may seem like a tranquil activity, it doesn’t encourage stillness of the mind and being one with nature, so books are also meant to stay behind.

Other mindful activities to pursue are rooted in meditation. One’s craving for inner peace may eventually result in embracing the practice of meditation. While it isn’t for everyone, meditation is one of the most transformative experiences worth embarking upon.

In simple terms, peace is the absence of confusion. By feeling secure and confident with who we are, our primary purpose, morals, and principles, we are one step closer to achieving inner peace.