Finding your inner peace

I’m still in that post holiday zen chilled out bubble as 3 weeks out of the office with minimal online time and no stress was just what I needed.

I’ve had a few doses of negativity and drama since I got back but I have found it so easy to just cut it and the guilty offenders out of my life instead of fretting about it. I think I have the holiday to thank for that as I don’t want anyone to bring down my relaxed mood!

It seems like I am not the only one wanting inner peace and to minimise stress levels so I have some super handy hints and tips from todays guest – Rebecca Moore

Its 2016 and never mind being in a digital revolution, we are close to being in a digital burn out. Actually with further thought, and a material burn out. Let me explain; it’s not that I have anything against the current age of ‘instant’ where you can access anything from anywhere, I just find it overwhelming and quite often, of little substance.

We are all in danger of becoming too obsessed with material possessions and their monetary value, not to mention self-obsessed – it’s no wonder stress and worry are at an all-time high. So find below some tips to step back from the frantic pace of everyday living, and tap into a slower, more calm and content version of yourself.

Limit Social Media

Social media is a habit that we don’t need to form, in fact 40% of people log onto their social media accounts multiple times a day. Scrolling through social media is renowned for leaving people tense and quite often anxious. It’s easy to forget that people are only allowing you to see a tiny (and often) staged portion of their lives and it’s also very easy to forget that what a lot of people are saying on these channels is just for show. To be quite honest, I’m over it. I find Twitter so useful for work, I couldn’t bring myself to delete it. But I did delete the app so that my work is left at work, and I’ve never felt better! I would encourage everyone to do the same, even if it’s just for a month to detox.

Comparing your life to someone else’s is simply not healthy, especially when it’s a tiny glimpse we are being allowed to view. It leads to us constantly evaluating our lives and wondering “is it enough?” Let me answer this very simply – yes, it is and the more that you learn to appreciate everything you have, you will feel more content and in a much better position to build on it.

Connect With the Great Outdoors

Have you ever sat back and recognised how truly awesome the universe is? It certainly puts things in perspective; there is so much out there that we don’t even begin to embrace. Making a conscious effort to ditch the screen time and spend more time in the great outdoors will go a long way to making you feel ‘well’. We are made up of exactly the same material as everything else out there and even if you can’t see it sometimes, it’s all working in harmony; it isn’t a coincidence that the air we breathe is provided by plants or that our circadian rhythm is perfectly synced with the cycles of day and night. Dawn and Dusk are particularly peaceful times of the day, and being under the stars can work wonders for making any worries seem really insignificant.

This might sound like lunacy….but its worth reading about the proposed power that the moon and its cycles can have on our spiritual energy and wellbeing. Think about the power the moon has over the oceans, and we are comprised of exactly the same percentage of water that is on the planet, maybe its ignorant to think that it wouldn’t have an impact on us?

Detox Your Life

For me, my scrolling habit didn’t stop at social media. I am a photo hoarder and I would scroll endlessly through my pictures time and time again, then I would screen shot the pictures I liked so that I didn’t have to scroll so far to find them again. Yes, I know that this makes absolutely ZERO sense. I also consistently had about 2000 emails in my inbox….

In an effort to kick my constant scrolling, I needed to take drastic action. In the process of deleting various screenshots that had been (annoyingly) automatically saved to my camera roll, I discovered some hidden gems of friends and family. In the name of ‘clutter free’, I thought that by putting them onto a USB stick would be the best option as they were all in one place should I ever want to access them and was saving valuable storage space….then I discovered these beautiful items and made some presents for friends to keep! Clutter free AND good karma? Yes please, and yet another reason to. Don’t stop there, we all know the cathartic feelings that a good home clear out can bring! I finally let go of all of old shoes and clothes that I had been hoarding and had the Ebay spree that I had been thinking about for a while!

It’s amazing the impact that an emotional detox can have, as a society now we are almost taught to numb our emotions and just ‘get on with it’. Having some sacred time alone with your thoughts to analyse and understand your emotions, breathing deep and letting go of the negativity should be an activity that you regularly undertake. Find a peaceful place, whether that’s lying in a warm bath with candles and essential oils, taking a few minutes with a coffee before you start your morning routine or a lunchtime walk. Take some inspiration from ancient traditions for some extra wellness.

Meditation

Admittedly, I found this difficult to get into. I’m someone whose head is naturally busy and have found it inherently difficult to switch off! The chances are that you might feel a tad ridiculous meditating if it isn’t something that you are used too, but it is a crucial tool to focus your thoughts and cultivate peace. Not to mention providing clarity on what is important and make your productivity levels soar through the roof! It might take a few goes to reach a state of meditation, and you can forget the cross legged position – focus on making yourself comfortable. Have an image in your mind to focus your thoughts on and practice breathing slowly and deeply. There is a neuroscience behind meditation – your brain waves are actually becoming slower and less frantic and increases your grey matter!

If you need a little extra help in getting started – Have a look at the Headspace or Pranayama Breathing Apps.

Stop Putting Things Off

You only live once, what are you waiting for!! Up until recently I was a control freak, a planner and a perfectionist and it was really REALLY exhausting. The constant need to plan ahead and organise made me anxious and stressed and much like my love affair with social media, I just had enough. I wasn’t embracing anything because I spent a lot of time just worrying, but after much soul searching (a lot of it spent outdoors having epiphanies), some reading up on the law of attraction and a visit to have my tarot cards read, I just gave up worrying and constant thinking.

We seem to live in a society where we are ok with saying, I will do it next week, next month, next year. You want to do something? You should do it, we worry far too much about the consequences of our actions that we only live half a life.

There is nothing wrong with following our intuition and if you can’t seem to hear your inner voice, perhaps consider some spiritual healing like Reiki or Kinesiology to help you discover it. There are plenty of books that will support this theory so create a reading wish list (another reason away to ditch the digital!).

So there you have it, a few ways to finding inner peace with a sprinkling of good karma too! Don’t feel guilty for taking time for yourself. Contrary to popular belief, being self-indulgent isn’t a negative activity. Your feelings and emotions towards everyday circumstances is a matter of attention – when you learn to focus on the positive, positivity will come to you! Good Luck x

I am trying to stick to limiting my social media time which is hard considering I work in the digital world and rely on it but I am doing quite well. Being a country girl, the outdoors is quite an easy one. Nothing helps clear your mind than the serene tranquility of nature!

How do you find your inner calm?