Everyone in the modern world has experienced anxiety, and it’s one of the main reasons people do not accept their mind as their trusted ally and friend. With uncertainty around the world at an all-time high, there has been no one completely unaffected. Coupled with this, technological progress has been accelerating at an exponential rate. Meaning the level of stimulation our brain receives on a daily basis is nothing short of overwhelming. On top of this, understanding of human psychology and behaviour is superior to any other time in history. The result is that not only does technology allow billions more people to communicate, but there are also now millions of very intelligent people using all the tricks in the book to try and grab your attention. The most important question facing us today is how do we cope with this?
The answer is the journey towards discovering inner peace.
Inner peace is often misunderstood, but one powerful definition is:
“inner peace or peace of mind refers to a state of being mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of discord or stress” (Om Swami).
The key here is that peace of mind is achieved not in isolation from stressors, but by living in harmony with them. How can anyone achieve such a feat? An effective way to achieve this is to develop and cultivate the five pillars of inner peace. Here we’ll look at each one and how to apply it.
1.Programming
Starting from our earliest moments on this earth, we start watching and observing those around us. We start observing patterns of behaviour and start to make connections between them. This process continues for many years, with the most intense period being between the ages of 0-7 years old, but continuing strongly until at least age 12.
The rules, instructions and beliefs we create or adopt in this period will largely run on autopilot for the rest of our lives – unless we learn to change and update them. When it comes to updating our programming, learning how to shift our mindset and maintain a positive mental attitude is crucial to achieving inner peace. This does not mean simply ‘positive thinking’, but instead an ability to maintain a positive focus in the face of challenges and extract the learning from those events as we go.
2.Emotional balance
One of the wonderful things about life on this planet is that everyone has a slightly different view of the world. This creates rich variety, creativity and uniqueness. The way in which we see the world is known as our perspective, or our frame of reference. As we journey through childhood and grow into adulthood many people have significant challenges, painful events or traumas. The frame through which we view these events has a huge impact on our emotional wellbeing.
The second pillar on the journey to inner peace is to understand how to change and shift our perspective; how to change our outlook on certain events or challenges. Learning the skill of psychological framing gives you the power to turn any event – regardless of how challenging – into something you can learn and grow from. The ability to change your perspective is fundamental to achieving inner peace.
3.Appreciations
There is extensive research that demonstrates the amazing effects gratitude has on the mind and body. Cultivating a gratitude practice is certainly an important part of the appreciation pillar, but to reach inner peace we need to go deeper.
Developing an appreciation for the journey you have been on, the challenges you have overcome, and the story of your voyage to date. Being able to join the dots from the past to see how they have made you who you are today help to integrate all of your life lessons. Finding and cultivating an appreciation for your body, your value and your qualities. As well as finding gratitude and appreciation in everyday life. All of these combine to contribute toward greater inner peace.
4.Changing habits.
It’s estimated that 90% of our behaviour is driven by habit. This means a significant contributor to your future emotional wellbeing is driven by the habits you have. Habits are not simply the things you do on a daily basis – they are an ongoing expression of who you are as a person.
There are many exceptional models from social scientists examining habit formation, all of which give us deeper insights into why we do what we do, and how we can modify behaviour. Creating positive, productive habits – and untangling old ones – is crucial to putting the systems in place to make inner peace sustainable for the long term.
5.Energy management
The machine we call our home – the human body – is capable of some incredible feats. But it can only function as well as the way we fuel it. The output we can achieve is a direct reflection of the input we feed it. If we want to experience inner peace, we must improve and refine what we give our bodies to work with.
Hydration, nutrition, exercise and sleep are all crucial to giving the body the raw materials it needs to feel calm and nourished. When we have our mindset in the right place, we have the platform to give ourselves the best fuel possible and to appreciate everything our home does for us.
Inner peace is as much of a journey as it is a destination, and improving the programming, emotional balance, appreciation, changing habits and energy management we experience on a day-to-day basis gives us the opportunity to feel the mental and spiritual calmness the world is craving and searching for.
