Cultivating Inner Peace: 6 Major Steps

Sharon Moore May 05, 2015

Inner peace. We all want a little of it, even for just a while. It is what keeps us strong in times of distress, and what motivates us to keep moving forward, amidst all the negative experiences we face in life. But inner peace isn’t something that we cultivate overnight. It takes time and effort too. There are good mental habits that we can practise though to find our way to serenity.

Make conscious effort to focus on the positives.

You can’t ever find inner peace when you constantly focus on the negative things. It can be difficult at first, but through conscious effort, you can learn to let the little things pass and prevent minor inconveniences from affecting you mentally and emotionally. You will learn to get over past slights and respond appropriately to people and situations that give you discomfort. There are strategies that makes this easier. For instance, walk away from the person who is not acting properly. Listen to music whilst stuck in a traffic jam. Visualise your dream vacation when feeling bored. By shifting your attention to better things, you can easily clear negative thoughts and unwanted emotions.

Take care of your body.

You can’t be in proper mental and emotional condition when you are physically ill. By establishing a healthier routine, you will find yourself easily tuning into positive thoughts and emotions without having to exert so much effort. Make sure you are getting enough sleep. We need more sleep as children do. A well-rested mind is a mind at peace.

Keep your environment clean.

A cluttered home or room demonstrates a clutter mind. You can’t relax and find inner peace if your environment is messy. If you can’t do it, hire someone to clean your space for you. Keep everything organised and easily accessible. When there’s order and peace in your surroundings, you can find serenity.

Practise acceptance.

Acceptance has an insurmountable role in cultivating inner peace. You can’t find serenity if you don’t acknowledge and accept who you are, what you do, and where you are now. Begin by accepting your current situation. You may not be in a beautiful place right now, or not living the life you dreamed about. But it doesn’t mean you cannot have all what you hoped for. Accepting things as they are now is however important.

Connect to people who inspire you.

Look at your circle of friends. Are they making you feel valued? Do they motivate and inspire you to do better but totally accept who you are today? If yes, you are with the right people. Otherwise, you should start pulling away from them. The people who you are constantly with have a huge impact on your state of mind, and how you perceive yourself. Choose to be with the people who you are at peace with.

Appreciate things.

Grateful people are endowed with inner peace. Being happy and thankful for what you have now – big or small – is a great way to cultivate inner peace. Whenever you can’t find a reason to be grateful for, consider the most basic gifts that you have: a good job, good relationships, and good health. Make it a habit to acknowledge every good thing that happens to you.

Inner peace is something we should all strive to find to live a meaningful, happy and satisfying life. And if you are having a hard time cultivating yours, try out these tips. They can make your way to serenity much easier.