Inner peace in the New Year

For about four years now, I have been on a journey to find inner peace for myself. At times I thought I had found it, only to be reminded that happiness could go as fast it came. I have experienced some of life’s highest highs like having a baby, getting married, graduating from college, getting a paycheck, and being in love.

I have also experienced some of life’s lowest lows like getting divorced, losing friends, watching my children struggle with various life lessons, and a broken heart.

Through it all though, I have felt this deep desire to keep searching for an inner peace so that no matter what high or low I was experiencing, it would not shake my core. In this quest to find more of myself, I stumbled across a few things that helped me. These 7 things encouraged me along the way and still do. Sometimes they gave me the extra push I needed to keep going when I just wanted to hide. I hope whatever season of life you find yourself in when you read this article, that it is one with intention and peace.

1. A Mindfulness Calendar. I found this calendar at Barnes & Noble and it is something I have looked forward to reading every morning. In fact, I just bought a new one for this year. Some of the daily mantras were so inspiring I stuck them up on the refrigerator as reminders for myself.

2. Yoga. I have done yoga for years now but I wanted to take my practice up a notch so I started trying arial yoga. I am definitely not graceful in my attempts to hang from the ceiling in a hammock but I feel powerful and alive when I am trying something that challenges me. I don’t always feel like going but when I push myself to sign up for a class, I always feel so much better about myself and what my body can do.

3. Dates with Friends. This one is so important for my inner peace. I try to see at least one girlfriend a week to help ‘balance’ me out. It might be a quick coffee meetup or something more involved like dinner and drinks. I have different groups of friends who help me navigate my way through life which makes the daily grind so much more fun. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a support system in your life. Having great friends also holds me accountable to myself and my well-being; something that my inner peace craves.

4. Naps On the Weekends.

I don’t always get to nap on the weekends but when I do, I feel like a new person afterwards. I used to feel guilty if I laid down for a few hours but I have been able to reframe those thoughts and tell myself that if I was able to close my eyes and fall asleep, then my body must have really needed the rest. Having more positive thoughts like this has helped work towards finding inner peace.

5. Slow Down. I love making to do lists and I find that they really help me slow down. That might sound contradictory to you but seeing things written out on a piece of paper helps me organize my priorities. When I don’t do this, I find myself running around, stressed out, and short with my kids. It’s better for everyone when mom makes her to do list and sticks to it.

6. Clean My Environment. Whether I am at home or in my office at work, I like to have a clean space. Sometimes when life gets crazy, I grab the Clorox wipes and start cleaning. I don’t know what it is about the act of cleaning that brings me peace…I just know it does. I get to think while I clean and I see a finished product when I’m done. Being in a clean space inspires me to do good work.

7. Nest. I am the happiest and calmest when I am at home, sitting on the couch with my dogs, a candle is lit, and my kids are lounging. This is when I feel like the world is at its best and I want to freeze time, bottle it up, and keep it protected. Do you have a place or a time in life that makes you feel that way? If you do, I encourage you to protect that to the best of your ability. Try to include it in your every day life to keep you grounded and soak in every minute.

January is a great time to start new things but it is also a great time to find peace. If you find yourself feeling stressed out and the new year has just begun, take a deep breath and tell yourself that this will be your year for inner peace. You deserve it. n