How to Find and Keep Inner Peace
If you’ve ever watched Kung Fu Panda, you’ll probably remember one of my favorite scenes (other than the one where Po tore up the kitchen looking for cookies). It was when Shifu was meditating and trying to find inner peace. He was sitting with his legs folded in a meditation posture chanting “Inner peeeaceee….In-in-in-in…inner peeeaaace”. I thought it was so funny, because the slightest sound or annoyance was throwing him off. It made me think – if a Kung Fu master struggled this badly with calming himself, is even it possible to find and keep inner peace? But it is. And I’m going to share with you some ways to find and keep inner peace.
1. Eliminate unecessary stressors: Point blank. Period. There’s so much content on how to manage stress. But honestly, it’s a lot easier to just eliminate unnecessary stressors. It’s also highly effective. But most people are reluctant to do this. Why? Because at least 75% of our stressors come from relationships with other people. Am I telling you to eliminate people from your life? No, although some people are toxic in relationships, and you really should consider not continuing any type of close relationship with them. But for those who aren’t toxic, you may just need to adjust how you interact with them so that your interactions with them don’t stress you out. Some people see that as mean. But at the end of the day, if you don’t eliminate a stressor it will wreak havoc on your body and emotions. And when you get physically ill in a way that debilitates you and the cause is stress, I’m sure you will wish you had been bold enough to adjust or end that relationship that caused you stress. But for the other 25% of stressors, do what you can to control the outcome and don’t worry about the rest.
2. Take your time: If a person tries to rush you into making a serious decision, consider that a red flag and seriously consider whether or not they need to be in your inner circle. Most outcomes in life turn out best when you take your time working through the issues and complications that arise. Think about the last relationship you had where you felt rushed and pressured to move at a faster pace than you were comfortable with. How’d that turn out? My guess is that you regret giving in if you did. And now you probably don’t entertain people who do that because you don’t want to experience that again. Even if you create things or work with processes at work, you know from experience that rushing through your work will create unnecessary mistakes and sometimes rework that you could have avoided if you had taken your time. Don’t rush. Take. Your. Time.
3. Work your body out: I can’t ever recall a time after I worked out and I didn’t feel better than I did before. Some studies show that you can feel better in as little as 5 minutes into your workout routine. If that’s the case, imagine what 20-30 mintues of moderate physical activity would do everyday. I’ll tell you what it will do. It will give your body the release it needs, it will help calm your mind, and it will help you sleep better at night.
4. Eat right: Since I went partially vegan, I’ve reaped the fruits of eliminating junk and processed foods from my diet. I feel lighter, I have more brain energy because it’s not spent on trying to digest heavy, toxic food, and I have more energy overall. I also don’t eat processed foods due to food allergies. The chemicals and sugar in processed foods can wreak havoc on your body to the point that you are out of whack and craving more of the food that has you out of whack. A whole foods diet solves that since you’re giving your body the nutrition it needs to function properly and without fatigue.
5. Laugh: Shifu didn’t think that their situation was funny. And I can’t say that I blame him. A psychopath kung fu master was headed straight for them and they didn’t have anyone who could stop him and defend their home. Or so they thought. That’s why Ooguay’s response was priceless. He seemed amused at Shifu’s panic after his own initial shock of the news wore off. He saw the possibility that Po could beat Tai Lung, and he promoted THAT possibility to Shifu, all while smiling even as he embraced his own possible death. I’m not saying that you have to be happy about whatever odds you’re facing. But finding the humor in life and being grateful for the good things you have in life can help you to find and keep inner peace. It helps you not take life or yourself so seriously…so that when you do have to be serious, you can face your challenges with inner peace.
6: And BREATHE. Take in a deep breath. Hold it for 5 – 10 seconds with your eyes close. Do this until you calm down and until you can focus your thoughts.
“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26: 3. When we focus on the the things that keep us calm and the One who brings perfect peace, inner peace is possible.
What are some ways that YOU stay calm in the middle of life’s stormy seasons and challenges?
Afi Ruel
Afi is a US Navy veteran, blogger and author. Her mission is to help you overcome your life, relationship and professional challenges.
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