Find Peace Amid Chaos

So Much to Worry About

I don’t know anyone who is especially peaceful at this moment. The whole world feels a bit threatening. So many of us find ourselves in a tumultuous and unsure state of being. We are filled with fears and worries – about losing our homes, jobs, retirement packages, freedom. We are concerned about the state of our nation, the election, the war. Each day presents a new struggle we must grapple with. There is no doubt these are tough times. However, if we try to redefine our personal definition of peace, and look for gentle ways to incorporate it into our everyday lives, we might find a way to better weather the storms.

What Does Peace Mean to You?

Peace does not necessarily mean a world without problems, pain, or imbalance. Peace is a state of being. While it may sometimes seem impossible, inner peace is possible despite the emotional influences from world events, media, negative people, and our own judgments. We can access this state when we cultivate peace from the core, rather than looking for it externally.

Try this: Ask yourself, what does peace mean to me? Is it long stretches of quiet time, or just feeling less stressed? Is it a hike in the woods, a day by the ocean or perhaps time alone to enjoy a book or a movie? What would your daily life look like if it was peaceful? Identify what peace would mean. Include all the little things. Keep a list of peaceful possibilities. Read it each day, add to it as you go along, and put a check mark next to those you achieve.

Maintaining Peace Through Self-Care

Taking care of ourselves goes a long way to maintaining a calm state of mind. There are enough studies to prove that stress has a negative effect. When you are stressed, taking care of the body, mind, and soul can get lost. By the same token, self-care can easily be folded into your daily routine.

Try this: Maintain a healthful diet, as well as eliminating time wasters such as idle internet surfing, gossiping, too much TV. It could be as simple as opting for a 10-minute walk at lunchtime. Turn off the TV and read, write in a journal, or take a class like yoga or painting. Find an activity like biking, walking, or a sport that you can participate in with family or friends.

Establishing Mealtime Rituals

Surrounding yourself with loving family and friends is important. Establish communal mealtime rituals you can look forward to, and relax with family and friends over a meal.

Try this: When money is tight, share good food by creating potluck meals. Have each person bring a dish. Cook with your kids and learn to enjoy simple foods again. Engage the family in creating special mealtimes by having each person come up with a menu idea for the day. Start each meal with a thought of gratitude for the food, the people who grew it, and those who shipped it to the store where you bought it.

Taking Time to Be Quiet

During a time of crisis, our very existence comes into question. Strong emotions can overtake us. Taking time to be alone with our thoughts and feelings is a valuable tool to develop a strong foundation. In a fast-paced life, turning off the outside world is important.

Try this: Put the laundry off until tomorrow. Things can wait. If you can slow the pace down, you will find that a sense of peace naturally emerges. You begin to discover the rhythm of your body, discovering what you really need. You can eat when hungry, drink when thirsty, and wake when rested. If taking a whole day off causes too much stress, start with a couple of hours. Go for a relaxing walk, visit a soothing locale, or just take the phone off the hook, kick back, and relax.

Reflecting on Your Life

Take the time to reflect on your life. Peace of mind is a quality you can acquire by focusing on what is important to you. Give energy to the positive things in your world.

Try this: Create a reflection journal to write about the positive things that happen in a day. Make a note of all that is good: friends, family, significant other, kids, car with enough gas in it, spiritual awareness, etc. Then make note of all your best qualities: I am creative, funny; I make people laugh and make a great cup of coffee. Try to make an entry every day.

Rising Above Anger

Emotions come and they go. The idea is not to let them rule you but to learn what they reveal about you. In the middle of a worldwide crisis, it is okay to feel upset. But try not to harbor anger; you are the one who will suffer most.

Try this: Think of a way you can rise above the anger of the world and do your own small part to cultivate peace. Reflect on this comment from the Dalai Lama: "We cannot overcome anger and hatred simply by suppressing them. We need to actively cultivate the antidote to hatred: patience and tolerance."

Creating Contentment

Don’t wait for someone to come along and bring peace into your life. Be the harbinger of your own peace and a cheerleader for your own contentment. Balance your days with quiet, thoughtful times, healthful activities, and time spent with family, friends, and people who encourage you.

Try this: Before you begin the day, be thankful for what you have, even if it is just a bed to sleep in and water running from a faucet. Even if it is just three meals a day and the clothes on your back. The point is, you're alive! At night, express gratitude for things big and small. Feel grateful. Gratitude brings a sense of peace; practice it every day.

Cultivating Loving Kindness

Sharing your love and your kindness is not always an easy task, but it is one of the most powerful ways to create peace. There is a great reward each time we greet another human being, or a situation, with love instead of anger, resentment, and fear.

Try this: Recognize that we must give this love and kindness to ourselves first. From there, we can extend it to our loved ones, to friends, and coworkers, to our community, to our world and everyone in it, including people we consider "enemies," or those who have wronged us or who simply get on our nerves.

Try This Gentle Peace Meditation

Begin with conscious breathing. Relax your body and mind. Breathe into your heart, feel it soften, open up. Imagine a loving person or kind moment. Breathe those feelings into your heart. If anger or grief arises, breathe into that feeling, letting it swirl around and transform. Release the negative emotions with a sigh. Repeat this until you feel negativity dispersing.

Now, focus on transforming all your feelings into love, and then send that love out into the world as a healing light. Even when you feel negative emotions rising, breathe love out into the world. Imagine a white light streaming out of your heart into the world. It is pure and comes from the highest place within you. You can use this meditation for a situation that upsets you, including world events. Remember, we have the choice to live in fear or love.

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