Over the past few years, it’s become more common to hear about busy, successful professionals suddenly quitting their jobs and going on a multi-month sabbatical.
From traveling around the globe, exploring different cultures, and going on once-in-a-lifetime adventures, to spending months on end doing nothing but leisure activities, it’s recently seemed like more people have ‘jumped ship’ because of the growing need to find inner peace.
And, no – this isn’t a mid-life crisis (as you might assume)! As a matter of fact, I can count more folks in their 20’s and 30’s who are joining this movement. The majority of these individuals are successful, highly-educated people who have worked hard for years, and have suddenly realized that they needed more than just a week-long vacation to find inner peace.
While this dramatic escape from the daily grind might sound like an ideal solution to dealing with busy schedules, endless to-do lists, and the monotony that comes with all responsibilities, the truth is – most of us don’t have the luxury of taking off 6 months from work to “find ourselves”.
Finding Inner Peace Everyday
That’s why it’s imperative that we find balance and inner peace everyday, even during the most stressful of times.
To help us find inner peace everyday (no matter what life might throw at us), featured in today’s guide are 3 experts and their tips on ways to be happy, create a sense of balance in our lives, and feel purposeful in our daily work.
Tip # 1 – Meditate
Jennifer Rollin (a Mental Health Therapist & Social Worker from North Potomac, Maryland) suggests that we “do at least five minutes of meditation.”
She goes on to say, “Meditation has been shown to have a profound impact on decreasing stress, boosting mood, and even improving your physical health. I went to a talk by a psychologist recently where she discussed how meditation could even alter the structure of your DNA. Often we put too much focus on reliving painful parts of our past or worrying about the future. Meditation and mindfulness can help you to attune to the present moment.
If we are always living in the past or the future, how can we ever hope to find happiness in the present moment?Meditation teaches you to observe your thoughts without judgment, which can help when you are experiencing negative and upsetting thoughts about yourself or a situation. There are a ton of free-guided meditation videos on YouTube, as well as many free apps. Incorporating meditation into your life is now easier than ever. One free app that I would recommend is called ‘Guided Mind.'”
Tip # 2 – Be Grateful
Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Marie Levey-Pabst is the founder of Create Balance and a consultant who helps parents find balance and joy in their busy and demanding lives. She says, “My number-one tip for helping my clients increase their happiness is to have them write down one thing they are grateful for every day. There is extensive research that supports the effectiveness of gratitude in making people feel happier, and the act of writing it down helps my clients develop a gratitude-habit which eventually becomes a way a viewing the world.”
Tip # 3 – Smile
John McGrail, PhD, is a Los Angeles-based clinical hypnotherapist, self improvement expert and personal/relationship coach. He is also the author of The Synthesis Effect: Your Direct Path to Personal Power and Transformation, and has been featured in Time, U.S. News & World Report, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, and countless other publications. One of his tips on ways to find inner peace is quite simple – just smile.
“Really, for today and for the rest of the week, just smile as much and as often as you can. Try to find any chance whatsoever to simply smile and in public, please! Yes, let as many people as possible see you smiling just because you can and you choose to. Three things will happen: you will feel better; it will reinforce your New Philosophy practice and guess what? So will everyone who sees you. You are sending out a vibe and people will catch on.”
If you can make the effort to do these three simple tasks each day, you will find an increased sense of inner peace everyday. Now that’s a reason to smile.
For more tips on ways to find inner peace and happiness, check out the Personal Growth section on Inspirations & Celebrations.
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[Disclosure: Affiliate link included.]
