Chaos is a big part of our lives and between work commitments, social life, important appointments and everyday tasks it can be challenging to find your zen.
Often times we define zen as the absence of stress – a peaceful, neutral state that can increase our happiness and peace of mind. We feel calm, increased inner clarity and a deep sense of inner balance, which positively impacts our ability to think, feel, act and decision-make.
When we find our zen, we revitalize our emotional and mental state, are more efficient and productive and experience a life that is more meaningful and connected. But on top of that, our body responds positively as well with an improved immune system and hormonal balance.
While a lot of people think that experiencing mental, emotional and physical zen is only possible when we take a vacation, find a morning to sleep in or spend a day at the spa, there are several active steps you can do right now to reduce stress and find your zen.
Here are our TOP 10 ways to stay centered and find your peace of mind.
#1 Count to 10
We know you’ve heard this before and it sounds very simple, but counting to 10 in the middle of a moment of madness and chaos can help us to calm our emotions and find our equilibrium. Counting to 10 gives us just enough time to allow ourselves to feel what we are feeling and then slowly start to calm down from the emotions or situation.
#2 Breathe
Whenever we feel anxious, taking a few moments to focus on our breath can have an extremely calming effect on us. Take a few deep, slow, rhythmic breaths all the way into the abdomen and with that rebalance the ratio of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood and reduce the levels of stress hormones in your body. Place one hand onto your belly and one hand onto your chest and feel your belly rise with every inhale and recede with every exhale. Tune everything else out in those moments and simply focus on how your breath flows through your body.
#3 Wake Up Before Sunrise
Early mornings provide us with the quietest hours of the day where we can find and indulge in some ‘me time’ and set the tone for the entire day. Set your alarm half an hour or even an hour earlier than you normally would and use this extra time to meditate, journal, practice yoga or work out, enjoy a steaming cup of coffee and eat a healthy well-balance breakfast. It’s amazing how a slow, relaxed morning can improve our mood and energy for the entire day.
#4 Do Something Silly
It’s easiest to find our zen when we are relaxed and we are generally most relaxed when we are happy. One way to get there is to do something silly and laugh out loud. However, as we grow older, we tend to do fewer silly things and belly-laugh less often. Keep in mind though, zen lives in happiness and laughter is an amazing medicine, so do something silly and skip instead of walk, have a dance party with yourself in your underwear or simply force yourself to laugh out loud until you suddenly start to actually laugh so hard that you can’t stop.
#5 Listen to Upbeat Music
Music is a powerful thing and we can find music for every emotion whether we are happy, sad, frustrated, mad, heartbroken, excited, reflective or any other emotion that comes our way. As we’ve just seen above, zen lives in happiness, so put on some upbeat music that cheers you up and makes you want to dance around naked and laugh out loud.
#6 Try Yoga
Exercise is the way to get endorphins and other happy hormones like dopamine and serotonin flowing, which helps us to get in a much happier state of mind. But if you want to feel zen at the same time, consider yoga. There is pretty much a style for everyone, but whether you power through an intense Vinyasa flow or relax with a gentle restorative practice, the end result is always the same. Think of yoga as a moving meditation that stretches your body in different directions, focuses on the breath and gives you time to relax and find your zen with Savasana.
#7 Set a Reminder for NOW
We live in a fast-paced world where we rush from meeting to appointment to responsibility and with that we sometimes end up running around like a chicken without head. Set a reminder on your phone every couple of hours or so to help you stop for a moment and notice the present moment. You can add a picture, song or a positive affirmation to your reminder so that every time it pops up you know it’s your time to savor this exact moment right here, right now.
#8 Explore
Yes, we are completely aware that not everyone can just pack up and leave to go on a road trip right now, but we all have the possibility to go out and explore our surroundings, even if it’s just a few minutes of walking around the block. Switch up your routine and check out a new coffee shop, find a different hiking trail near your house, take a new route to work every day, bike around the city, walk around the park, whatever you can do, get off the couch and find something new every single day.
#9 Walk or Bike Instead of Driving
When was the last time you decided to walk instead of driving or took your bike to grab your morning coffee? Besides stimulating our heart a little, we give ourselves the opportunity to take some fresh, deep breaths and remove ourselves from the stress that comes with driving. Exercise is great for our heart and our mood and while it may take a little longer than driving, the benefits far outweigh the length of the journey.
#10 Use Visualization
Using visual imagery as a form of meditation means that we conjure a specific image in our mind that we know will have a calming effect on us. A lot of times this can be an image of nature as research shows that being in nature improves our emotional, as well as physical well-being by reducing stress as well as feelings of fear and anger while at the same time lowering blood pressure and heart rate and reducing muscle tension. The thing is, our brain doesn’t need to be in nature to get all its benefits, whether we are actually enjoying the view of an amazing scenery or imagine it in our mind, we activate the same neural pathways and with that trigger the same physiological response.
Life can get busy at times and even if we make it through the day, we can feel even more frazzled at the end than when we started. But however crazy your day may get, find the time to take care of yourself and incorporate ways to find your zen. And remember, being in a zen-like state doesn’t mean you achieve some idealistic, passive state, but rather an active state where you are in balance and can actively live your life.
FIND PEACE OF MIND IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYDAY CHAOS
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked