10 Tiny Habits Of People Who Have True Inner Peace — No Matter How Bad Their Circumstances
Find the joy you've been searching for.
Guillem de Balanzo / Shutterstock Life is made up of seasons — vibrant, painful, joyous, and dry. Like an abundant harvest after the rain, each offers a unique lesson that can lead to peace. Whatever your current circumstances are, good or bad, they will come to an end. Peace, however, is something you can keep.
It might be your season to work, to pay off debt, to let go of a bad relationship, to finish college, to use your voice, to love, to be, to strive, to coast, to laugh, to cry, to mourn, or to celebrate. But whatever season you are in, you can live peacefully and find happiness in life.
Here are 10 ways to find inner peace, no matter how chaotic life feels
1. Accept what is
When you're experiencing an especially difficult season, think back to the times that were hard in your life before and note how you got through them. Think of the mindset you adopted at that time to get you past those obstacles.
Accepting what is, means remembering that you can live through the pain, uncertainty, and doubt. This will help you get to the other side of your current situation.
2. Share your burdens
When you're in the process of learning how to find inner peace, it's important to let others know what you're experiencing. Talking to others about what you're going through helps lighten the load.
By sharing your troubles, you're allowing yourself to put some of that stress and anxiety and worry out of sight and, as a result, out of mind.
3. Take your life one day at a time
Many people tend to be distracted by the hustle and bustle of everyday life, neglecting to truly appreciate the nuances of the world around them. They rush through the day in an attempt to get to the next moment in time.
When you go on a trip to find inner peace, you borrow burdens that may never happen. Instead of doing this, stop and take a beat every single day to just live in the moment. Take everything one step at a time.
4. Choose to let go of negative thinking
When you start ruminating on how bad things are or how painful they have become, acknowledge the feeling and then take action to move forward. Don't let yourself get caught up in the negativity.
It might not change the circumstances, as some things take time to get through, but it can help shift your thinking to something more positive. And a positive mindset will make it much more easy to find the inner peace you desire.
Photo: Los Muertos Crew / Pexels
5. Have faith
To have faith means to put all your worries and fears into a higher power, trusting that they will provide you exactly what you need. Whether it's God or a spiritual presence greater than yourself, trust in that faith.
If you believe in a higher power, lean into it. Turn to your spiritual or religious practice for comfort.
6. Go where the love is
When you're feeling beat up, it's important to link arms with people who can support you. Whether that's your family, co-workers, or close circle of trusted friends, confide in them.
Go where the love is. Because it's that love that will propel you forward.
7. Choose happiness
Abraham Lincoln said, "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." This means that, even in terrible circumstances, there's something that can always bring you joy.
Don’t ignore it. Instead, embrace it. Choose happiness every single day, and you'll find that inner peace and zen are just around the corner.
8. Seek to love, not to control
Sometimes, we stress out about the things that are beyond our control. But in order to find that inner joy we want, we must seek to love, not to control the circumstances around us.
That means leading with kindness and compassion, and spreading that same mentality to others. It also means letting go of trying to control everything around you, and letting things play out as they are meant to.
9. Be responsible for your feelings and actions
It's easy to react a certain way and not take accountability for it. When we are emotionally reactive, we enter a state of fight or flight as a result of our stress triggers. We overreact and refuse to accept responsibility for our actions and emotions.
But in order to find inner peace, it's essential to be self-aware. Make sure that what you do reflects the ripple effect you want to create.
Photo: Anna Tarazevich / Pexels
10. Remember that you will be okay
"Even if you don’t believe it, you will." Write that phrase down every single day. Repeat it to yourself.
Being at peace, whatever your circumstances, is possible once you adopt a few new practices that will help you have a more positive and calm mindset.
Gretchen Hydo is a Master Certified Coach, keynote speaker, author, and nationally syndicated advice columnist specializing in business, life, and career coaching. Her work has appeared in Huffington Post, Reader's Digest, Chicago Tribune, Fast Company, and Medium, among many others.