Reclaiming Peace
Meaningful Ways to Bring Calm and Clarity…
In the uncertain, perilous times that are sure to come in life, the ability to reclaim peace isn’t just a critical life skill – it’s a veritable superpower. With so much out of our control, worry can often turn to panic, sending us into a vicious, hard-to-break cycle. But in moments just before the spiral, there’s a choice to be made: follow the tailspin or chart a new path.
Reclaimed peace sometimes requires looking inward and focusing on self-improvement, but it can also involve looking outside of yourself and finding ways to show up for others who need it most. Caring for others gives us a way to contribute to the good instead of panicking about the not-so-good. It is a reminder that we can affect positive change and a love note to others that there are good people in the world. There is no right or wrong path to reclaiming peace, but here are four ways to eke out a bit of zen, even amidst the chaos.
Care For an Animal. It’s no secret that shelters across the globe are struggling to place homeless pets into safe and loving forever homes. The pet population is quickly outpacing the volume of willing adopters, and the well-being of the animals is suspended in the balance. Consider adopting a pet from your local shelter or animal rescue. Spending time with pets can literally lower your heart rate, cure loneliness and bring a smile to your face. Can’t commit to a full adoption? Foster an animal struggling to adjust to the hardships of shelter life. Volunteer to walk shelter pets or schedule some time to help socialize them at the facility. Help fund services like spays, neuters, teeth cleanings or other veterinary care. Contribute pet food, toys and beds to animals in need through local shelters or wish lists. No matter how you choose to help, pouring some love into another little life can help you reclaim some joy and peace within your own.
Build a Garden. Watching a plant grow – seeing a living thing put down roots and flourish into leaves, branches, flowers, or fruit – can be a particularly grounding experience. It can be calming to put your hands in the dirt and smell the earth wafting through the air, and growing your own garden can be a step toward self-sufficiency. Whether you start with a window box herb garden, a few fruit trees or a full-scale vegetable garden, there’s joy, hope, resiliency and sustainability to be found in the growth. Cooking with home-grown herbs or enjoying a fruit platter or salad with bounty grown by your own hands is its own accomplishment. Sharing plants and produce with family, friends, neighbors and strangers is next level. Put some hope into the ground and watch peace bloom.
Put Your Skills or Passion to Use as a Volunteer. Feeling purposeful is a great way to take your mind off feeling stressed. There are innumerable ways to apply your skills, passions and resources in service to others. You are uniquely prepared to share your combination of skills, interests and experiences with the world. Are you great with numbers? Consider helping an elderly family member or neighbor with their bills or taxes. Are you a lover of language? Teach literacy classes or read to children at your local library. Do you love to cook? Connect with a local community kitchen to help prepare and serve food to people in need. Are you a master party planner? Help bring an epic fundraiser to life for a local non-profit organization. Knowing you’ve made a positive impact on others won’t just lift your spirits and lift the hearts of those who have been helped. It might just inspire others to take up the mantle.
Immerse Yourself in a Project. In uncertain times, staying busy can be a healing balm. Working on a project you can see growing and changing before your eyes is its own form of restoration. There’s a reason people around the world found themselves immersed in home improvement projects during the pandemic! Instead of worrying, why not expel that nervous energy into rebuilding that old deck, starting that kitchen upgrade, putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls or that much-needed closet revamp? If you’re looking for a project with broader community impact, consider joining a nonprofit organization and getting involved in building something meaningful to you and others. Whether it’s community outreach, a neighborhood cleanup or an opportunity to help build homes for those in need, put your heart and hands to use to create something that will outlast this uncertain time in your life.
Hard times don’t last, but good, strong people do. Build peace of mind and strength in yourself and others one act of hope at a time. •
