Mental Health | Mindset
Five Simple Ways to Remain Calm and Joyful in this Chaotic World
Life is what we make it, so I create a purposeful positive life, and you can too — read to the end for a bonus surprise!
This is a very stressful and trying time all around the world. From Covid-19 to the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, not to mention the concern with China and Taiwan and the fear of nuclear war the world is on edge. Here in the United States, we are seeing an increase in shootings, even in schools. So, today, I would like to provide five simple ways that I personally remain calm in these chaotic times.
Five Ways to Remain Calm and Joyful
- Start each day on a positive note and let that momentum carry you through the day.
- Find a positive quote, write it, or print it. Look at it throughout the day.
- Practice Positive affirmations or mantras.
- Go outside and take a walk or sit quietly.
- Turn off the news and turn on relaxing music.
How we start the day makes a difference.
How we start the day can literally make or break the entire day. Do you ever have that feeling where you wish you could just hit the restart button because things just keep going wrong? Your attitude and actions at the start of the day set the tone and affect the rest of your day. I prefer and feel it is important to get up at least an hour before I really need to. This allows me personal self-care time to sip my coffee, read for twenty minutes, find a positive quote, and practice yoga and meditation. Sometimes I get on my yoga mat and practice for an hour and meditate for twenty to thirty minutes. Other days I am short on time, so I practice for fifteen minutes and meditate for five.
Allowing myself that time in first thing in the morning gives me the ability to look forward to waking up because I get to do things I enjoy rather than rush to get to work. I enjoy how quiet and peaceful my house is. I am usually up in time to admire the sunrise. It may be difficult at first to get used to waking a little earlier and pulling yourself out of bed, but once it becomes a routine it is quite a lovely way to start the day.
The power of a positive quote.
Words are very powerful. As readers and writers, we can each appreciate that.
“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” ~ Napoleon Hill
Part of my morning routine as I sip my coffee is to find a positive quote to share on social media. I consider this as a very small random act of kindness as it inspires others. It equally inspires me. It is nice to start the day with inspiring positive words. I re-read the quote throughout the day. Napoleon Hill says that through autosuggestion or writing down a thought or desire and saying it out loud throughout the day repeatedly, you will eventually achieve it. So, by reading the positive quote I achieve a positive mindset. I choose a quote that I feel I need to personally hear for the day. I really like Pinterest, but you can also google and find many options for positive or motivational quotes.
Here are a couple of really great quotes.
“When you focus on what you are grateful for, you will always be in a better mood. The human brain is incapable of being grateful and angry at the same time. So always be grateful and you will have a better quality of life.” ~ The Female Hustlers
“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” ~ Paulo Coelho
“There should be no yelling in the house unless there is a fire.” ~ David O. McKay
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” ~William James
Practising positive affirmations and mantras can reprogram our Subconscious mind.
Some examples of positive affirmations are
“I am strong and will get through this.”
“I will remain calm and find joy in the simple things in life.”
“There is always something I can be grateful for.”
Saying positive affirmations while looking at ourselves in the mirror build our confidence and reprograms the subconscious mind. Take it one step further and write the affirmation on a post-it note. Look at it and say it throughout the day. It goes back to the concept of autosuggestion where we start to believe it the more we repeat it. At first, it may feel awkward but the more you practice it the more comfortable it will feel. I find it really is very empowering.
A mantra is the same concept but is more of a chant or a song, but they have positive calming effects. Two of my favorite Sanskrit mantras and their English translations are:
“Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu”
“May all people everywhere be happy and free and may the thoughts words and deeds of my own life contribute in some way to that peace and to that freedom for all.”
“Om gam ganapataye namah”
“May all obstacles and negative energy on our path be removed.”
Time in nature will nurture.
Anytime I feel my stress and anxiety rising I try to step outside. The smell of the air and the sound of the birds singing and the leaves blowing instantly calm and nurtures me. On a sunny day, Vitamin D is scientifically proven to benefit our health. We tend to take longer deeper inhales and exhales outside which slows our heart rate and lowers our blood pressure. I personally like to take walks, but you can read in my recent article how effective simply sitting for twenty minutes is. If you enjoy yard work, gardening, or playing with your children or grandchildren those are wonderful outdoor activities as well.
Ditch the news and turn on some tunes.
The news is full of negative information. When you need to know something, believe me, you will hear about it. I am not saying do not be informed at all, but I am certainly advocating to limit how much you watch or listen to the news. There are very few positive stories. Instead, turn on relaxing music, or music that you enjoy. Better yet, move to that music! Dance, practice Thai chi, or yoga. Music has very calming powers and can validate our emotions and movement has many benefits for both the body and the mind.
Conclusion
Every day may not be great but there is always something great in each day. Life is what we make of it. Yes, these are trying times. The good news is everything in life is temporary. Try to look for the tiny miracles unfolding all around you. Stay in touch with loved ones — friends and family. Practice self-care.
Bonus tip: try a new hobby or start a house project. This is a great positive distraction, and you will benefit from seeing a sense of accomplishment. Creative outlets foster a sense of healing when we are struggling to find joy.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I think there are many wonderful and positive articles on Medium and I find great hope and inspiration here on the platform. I invite you to join as a member under my affiliate link here if you are not one yet. Liberty Forrest, Author and Sahil Patel both have several wonderful publications that offer hope and healing so please check those out. There are many great pubs and writers and I like to spread out my shoutouts so please do not take offence if I did not mention you today.
I am including a couple more articles you may enjoy to raise your spirits.
Peace & Light,
Libby
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