“Each one has to find peace from within.” This Mahatma Gandhi quote alludes to one of life’s great truths: If you want to learn how to live a peaceful life, the place to start is with yourself.
How to Live a Peaceful Life
Who doesn’t want to live a more peaceful life? With the hectic pace of the world these days, it makes sense to want to fill your life with tranquility and kindness. Sometimes people try to make their lives more peaceful by buying trinkets or paying for expensive classes. However, you don’t need any props when determining how to live a peaceful life. If you focus on small changes to make your inner life more peaceful, your outer life will follow.
Spend Time in Nature
Do you ever just feel better after you go for a walk outside? There’s a reason for that. Studies have shown that people who spend time outdoors experience less stress and more happiness than those who don’t. It’s also great for your body, as it helps you get exercise and enjoy the benefits of fresh air and sunshine. You don’t have to become a master hiker, either. Try taking a short walk every day, or even just sitting out in the sunshine for a little bit and taking a few deep breaths. It’s a daily habit you’ll come to look forward to.
Take Care of Your Body
Living a peaceful life without taking care of your body is a difficult task, especially when you reach your golden years. If you’re constantly experiencing the effects of dehydration, poor nutrition, or a lack of sleep, you aren’t going to feel very peaceful! Consider how you can make small changes to lead to a healthier life. Can you go to sleep a half-hour earlier tonight than you did yesterday? Can you start to carry a water bottle? If you aren’t sure where to start, consult your doctor for some expert advice.
Practice Gratitude
Have you ever wondered how happy people stay so happy? According to the experts, a lot of the work is done by a happy person’s mindset. While sometimes unhappy emotions are a sensible reaction to an event, dwelling in unhappiness and anger just leads to more of the same. Try to approach each day with a sense of gratitude. What do you have to look forward to? If there’s something bothering you, what can you do to make it better?
Practice Self-Acceptance
It’s also difficult to live a more peaceful life if you’re constantly putting yourself down. We all have things that we want to do better in life, and working towards improving yourself is noble. However, that work needs to be balanced with self-acceptance. If you’ve done something wrong, apologize genuinely, but don’t beat yourself up about it. If you’ve made mistakes in the past, resolve to learn from them instead of repeating them. If this is an area of particular struggle for you, a therapist might be helpful.
Practice Mindfulness
One of the most difficult parts of living peacefully is learning how to turn off the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Between the cell phones beeping in our pockets and the endless stream of news on the television, it’s hard to get a quiet moment to yourself these days. However, finding those quiet moments is the key to learning how to live a peaceful life. Mindfulness is a practice that focuses on breathing and meditation to find peaceful moments in everyday life. Can you take a few moments to breathe deeply every morning, or a pause in the afternoon to meditate? See how you can make mindfulness work for you.
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These are just a few ideas to help you think about how to live a peaceful life. However, as Gandhi noted, you’re the only one who really knows how to make your life peaceful. Consider what you can do today for a more peaceful tomorrow.
At Springhouse Village, we know how important it is to enjoy your retirement in a lively and welcoming environment. We make it easy for our residents to be active participants in our community. Whether that means encouraging residents to shop at local farmers markets or assisting them in starting a garden club, we strive to help our residents thrive. To learn more about the amenities and services we offer, contact Springhouse Village today.