Attaining Peace | AcademicHelp.net

Pondering about peace in one’s life is not so easy. We have peaceful moments, but are we peaceful as a whole? Most people would say no. How do we garner peace in chaotic times and in a world bent on stress? There are a few actions we can take to be peaceful people: meditating regularly, taking walks in nature, and de-stressing our daily lives. There are many other ways, but I want to focus on these three, as I believe they are the most practical and easiest to accomplish.

Meditation has been proven to alleviate stress, and bring people to mental silence. This mental silence is essential in our daily lives, as we easily become tired, distracted, and stressed from our constant thoughts. We need at least some time for our mind to be quiet and to relax. In fact, there have been thorough studies on meditation, especially Sahaja Yoga Meditation, alleviating anxiety and other forms of stress to a great degree. According to the website Researching Meditation, “In one of the most thoroughly designed studies of meditation ever published, full-time workers who used Sahaja Yoga meditation became much less stressed and depressed compared to more conventional approaches to relaxation or even placebo, according to a paper published this week in the online journal Evidence Based Complementary Medicine, a leading publication in its field” (Researching Meditation Sahaja Yoga Meditation Proven Highly Effective for Treatment of Stress and Depressive Mood). So, if we want to become peaceful people, meditating on a daily basis is a solid step in the right direction.

Walking in nature, and walking in general, has been shown to increase peace of mind. According to Greater Good magazine, “It’s clear that hiking—and any physical activity—can reduce stress and anxiety. But, there’s something about being in nature that may augment those impacts. In one recent experiment conducted in Japan, participants were assigned to walk either in a forest or in an urban center (taking walks of equal length and difficulty) while having their heart rate variability, heart rate, and blood pressure measured. The participants also filled out questionnaires about their moods, stress levels, and other psychological measures. Results showed that those who walked in forests had significantly lower heart rates and higher heart rate variability (indicating more relaxation and less stress), and reported better moods and less anxiety, than those who walked in urban settings” (“How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier, and More Creative”). Walking in nature allows us to get in connection with our roots—no pun intended. When we distance ourselves from our natural surroundings, we become dissonant within—this is why it is refreshing and soothing to walk in nature.

Sometimes, people seem to collect negativity intentionally. The friends we choose to be around, the music we listen to, the TV shows we watch, and other activities we choose to add to our lives can bring us stress. Though peace ultimately comes from within, limiting negative external factors can be of benefit. Based on the article 11 Tips to De-Stress Your Life by Entrepreneur magazine, these elements provide an avenue for retaining peace: identifying triggers of stress, being healthy, getting organized, stopping procrastination, turning off your smartphone, doing what makes you happy, not filling up your calendar, accepting people as they are, being grateful, avoiding multitasking, and kissing regularly with a loved one (Rampton, John). Supposedly, with all these activities combined, inner and outer peace can be attained.

Achieving peace in our lives often seems like a mystical concept, but it can be garnered through practical efforts. Meditating regularly, walking in nature, and finding ways to de-stress your life all come in handy. The point of peace is not to have only a few moments of serenity during a day, but to have a day perpetuated with tranquil moments. This can only arise when we have not only external peace, but peace within.

References

“Sahaja Yoga Meditation Proven Highly Effective for Treatment of Stress and Depressive Mood.” Researching Meditation Sahaja Yoga Meditation Proven Highly Effective for Treatment of Stress and Depressive Mood, www.researchingmeditation.org/blog/sahaja-yoga-meditation-proven-highly-effective-for-treatment-of-stress-and-depressive-mood.html.

“How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier, and More Creative.” Greater Good, greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_nature_makes_you_kinder_happier_more_creative.

Rampton, John. “11 Tips to De-Stress Your Life.” Entrepreneur, 23 Dec. 2014, www.entrepreneur.com/article/240906.

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