I Just Want a Peaceful Life: 36 Ways to Achieve Serenity
As we grow older, the complications and challenges we face in life can seem more dramatic and overwhelming. We can easily begin to feel like we are merely surviving rather than thriving. In my case, I become frustrated with so much overwhelm and drama that I find myself feeling and thinking, “I just want a peaceful life.”
Sometimes I even say it out loud — “I just want a peaceful life.” Then my husband usually reminds me that I KNOW how to have a peaceful life… I just need to make some changes in my life.
I need to constantly remind myself about the ways in which I can have a peaceful life and live my best life. Mindfulness and calm do not come naturally to me. I have anxiety and suffer from PTSD; I also have a brain that never shuts down. This is why I’ve chosen to write so much about mindset, achieving happiness, redefining personal growth, and wellness — I need the constant reminders for myself and I hope to help others, too.
So let’s move on with some insight about how to live a peaceful life. Maybe we can both figure out how to reduce the frequency of how often we say or think, “I just want a peaceful life” and actually practice living a peaceful life! Isn’t that an interesting concept??
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I Just Want a Peaceful Life
I just want to experience happiness without the weight of the world on my mind. It seems pretty plain and simple, right? I’m not asking too much, am I?
Mahatma Gandhi said, “Each one has to find peace from within.” This speaks volumes to the fact that each one of us has to find peace from within before we can live a peaceful life.
Since my mind never shuts down, and I always have some kind of worry spinning around in my brain, I need to constantly work on implementing strategies that help me find peace and calm — beginning from within my soul.
So we need to explore how to calm ourselves from within and then learn how to live a peaceful life together. Joan Borysenko says, “Every day brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace.” I want to practice peace. I bet you do, too!
What Does it Mean to Live a Peaceful Life?
There is not an official definition of a ‘peaceful life’ but this is my personal definition:
A peaceful life is a balanced life where harmony resides within you and around you. It means that you are able to feel a sense of content regardless of what is going on in your life. And it means that you do not allow anything to disturb your inner peace even if there is chaos happening around you.
A therapist once asked me to think of a time and place where I felt perfectly “content” and at peace. It didn’t take me long to think about standing in the middle of main street in Skagway, Alaska at the base of two mountains with a mountain on each side of me and the cruise ship docked in the port in front of me.
I stood in the middle of the street of Skagway and looked around me — people were moving through the shops and eateries on the street — but I felt a sense of content like I’ve never felt before. This was my ‘place”… it turned out to be where I take myself (in my mind) when I need to find peace.
There are many inspirational quotes that address the issue of inner peace — and most of them suggest that we have the power to control our peace even in the face of chaos. I believe this.
I personally believe there are some people who are able to do this better than others. But I also believe you can ‘learn’ to do this better by choosing to mindfully implement strategies that help you feel greater sense of inner peace. This is why I’ve written this article about 36 life hacks to help you develop a peaceful life.
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Do You Wish for a Peaceful Life?
With the hectic pace of the world these days, it makes sense to want to fill your life with tranquility and peace. But in these complex times, it takes a little more effort than it once did when the world was a simpler place. Our minds are racing along side the evolution of technology, but we still want peace.
Like I’ve mentioned before, some people are able to naturally shut off worry and live a calm, peaceful life. But many of us have to work harder to achieve a more peaceful life. I’m someone who has to work at it because I just want a peaceful life and it doesn’t come naturally to me.
If you focus on small changes to make your inner life more peaceful, your outer life will follow. People around you will begin to show signs of less chaos. You will begin to respond to problems differently — you’ll respond instead of react. You will develop the ability to NOT let the chaos around you interrupt your inner peace.
If you truly wish for a more peaceful life, you will implement strategies to help you reach that goal.
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36 Ways to Live a Peaceful Life
Since we have established that a peaceful life starts from within, you probably won’t be surprised that many of these tips and life hacks are about a shift in your mindset — a change in how you think — letting go of negative thoughts and replacing them with a positive, healthy mindset.
Some of the mind shifts will take patience and practice. But if you truly want to live a peaceful life, you will need to make some mindset changes. In the long run, you’ll find that peace and happiness is easer to achieve if you develop and maintain a healthy, happy mindset.
- Gratitude – Focus your thoughts on all the things you are thankful for in your life instead of the chaos and overwhelm that’s happening around you.
- Self Acceptance – Accept that you are not perfect. Don’t do battle with yourself for not being and doing everything well. Give yourself grace and acceptance like you would a small child or your best friend.
- Mindfulness – This sometimes sounds like a buzz word, or a trendy term. But it’s much more than that. Mindfulness means you are aware of what’s happening around you and know how to process it from a place of objective, calm, and rational thinking.
- Spend Time in Nature – Get outside and spent time in the sunshine. Nature has a way of calming the mind so you can think from a clear, calm, and rational perspective. Take your shoes off and dig your toes into the grass and dirt to help you get grounded.
- Practice Self-Care – You hear self-care everywhere nowadays, but it’s not just a buzz word either. It’s a necessity. You need to take time for yourself and practice self-care habits that refresh, restore, and re-energize you every day.
- Lower or Adjust Your Expectations – Sometimes you expect a LOT from people around you, right? Sometimes you expect a LOT from yourself, right? Make sure you are being reasonable about what you expect — sometimes you need to lower or adjust your expectations to avoid a great deal of internal conflict.
- Don’t Lose Yourself – Sometimes you can lose yourself in the chaos. Be aware of when you are spiraling with the chaos and put the breaks on to STOP. Shift your mindset quickly and return to your place of content.
- Practice Tolerance and Acceptance – A sense of tolerance and acceptance will ensure you a greater amount of inner peace. Rather than getting angry or upset about other people or situations, learn to practice tolerance and acceptance. Understand that not everyone thinks or behaves like you.
- Give Up On The Urge To Control Everything – Control can be a dangerous thing. There are some things you cannot control in life. And you should know by now that you can’t control other people. Your desire to have control over everything in your life will only cause you grief and frustration. Letting go of control can help you enjoy life more.
- Practice Forgiveness – You don’t need to forgive and forget. But it will alleviate a lot of burden from your mind if you forgive people who wrong you in life. Move on with your life because those who hurt you in the first place usually aren’t worried about their wrong-doings. You’re only hurting yourself if you hold on to the resentment and anger.
- Prioritize – If you want a peaceful life, you need to make it a priority. Do what you need to do to have a peaceful life. Walk away from people and things that don’t bring you peace and joy. Embrace people and things that bring you joy and contentment.
- Find Peace from Within – If you want to live an endlessly peaceful life, you have to start by finding your inner peace. No amount of external tranquility can calm down the chaos in your mind. Find time in your daily routine to practice calming your mind and body. There are excellent strategies and tips throughout the pages of Sassy Sister Stuff.
- Focus on Your Breathing – This is a strategy for calming your mind and body. Practice mindful breathing several times each day. Breathe in good thoughts, breathe out heavy thoughts.
- Get Organized – You would be surprised how getting rid of all your piles and reducing clutter will help you lead a more peaceful life. After you get rid of clutter, find a place for everything instead of having stuff laying around. Check out the concept of a minimalist lifestyle — it’s more powerful than you might realize.
- Smile More – The simple act of smiling can change the way your brain processes and feels. As you are driving down the road, SMILE for no reason. You’ll find that your mood instantly changes and you’ll feel more at peace within.
- Stop Stressing About Always Being Right – There’s nothing wrong with being wrong. People who have the tendency to always need to be right suffer from greater mental health issues than people who are able to walk around without getting in the last word or arguing their point. Stop and think is it REALLY worth getting your panties in a bunch?
- Be Comfortable With Silence – Silence can be golden. Don’t feel that you always have to be engaging with someone or something. Practice being comfortable in silence — no music, no talking, no texting, no emailing. Just you. Give it a try.
- Respond Instead of React – A response requires time and patience for a thoughtful moment to determine what you want to say or do. A reaction is much more dramatic and electrifying. If you train you brain to stop reacting to everything, you’ll soon find a greater amount of peace in your life.
- Compartmentalize – Visualize having a small cage in the back of your brain where you can put thoughts that you don’t need to think about right now. Put thoughts in the compartment until you need to think about them again. This will help you find more inner peace.
- Stop Negative Self-Talk – Sometimes you are your own worst enemy because you say things to and about yourself that you would never say to others. STOP DOING THAT! Whatever you say or think, your mind and body will believe. You’re going to make yourself sick if you don’t stop that, and you are never going to find peace.
- Use Positive Affirmations – Since your mind and body believe whatever you say and think, use positive affirmations daily to tell yourself how awesome you are. My favorite positive affirmation is: I am happy and whole — mind, body, and soul. I say it out loud 10-20 times a day sometimes.
- Slow Down – Stop trying to squeeze so much into a day. Slow down your body and mind by creating a daily schedule that includes time for self-care and quiet time. Don’t just rely on finding extra time in your day for these important tasks. Actually make the time.
- Decide What’s Important and Do Less of What’s Not – Start saying NO to things that don’t bring you joy or peace. Consider asking others for help so you don’t get overwhelmed. Or maybe hire someone to help clean the house. Ask yourself, does this need to be done NOW?
- Evaluate Your Commitments – Quit the committee that seems to be full of drama al the time. Or the committee that doesn’t seem to be making a difference to the world. So NO to the friend who takes advantage of your kindness and never seems to have time when you need help.
- STOP Multi-Tasking – I must admit this is a big problem for me. It’s kind of ridiculous how I used to shave my legs as I’m driving down the road while talking to someone (hands-free), and eating my breakfast all at the same time. I even have trouble getting in my jacuzzi to take a long hot bubble bath without talking on the phone or checking work email. UGH!! But since I founded Sassy Sister Stuff two years ago, I’ve been working on doing better! And it has certainly helped me lead a more peaceful life.
- Digital Detox – This is another difficult one for me. So many of us are addicted to our “devices” and feel like the world will stop if we disconnect. Honestly, it will be OKAY if you don’t answer emails immediately… and it will be OKAY if you don’t share on social media today… and the world will wait for you to go to the bathroom and make your bed in the morning… you get the idea! I have started leaving my cell phone upstairs in my bathroom during the day sometimes with the intention of having a calm day.
- Create Time for Solitude – This can be in the bath tub, outside in nature… even driving down the road. Enjoy the time alone and notice the beauty around you. Just let your mind be carefree for a time.
- Be Present in Each Moment – Learn to enjoy all the moments. Notice what’s happening around you and breathe it all in. Be present. Keep your mind on exactly what’s happening around you. Don’t be that parent who is talking on the phone while pushing your child on the swing. You are going to miss the best parts of life!
- Read a Book – Reading books can help you settle your mind and take you away from the chaos of real life. It can transform you to new and interesting places. Your mind will appreciate the distraction from real life and it will help you learn to shut out the chaos.
- Leave the Past in the Past – This is another strategy I struggle with, but I’m getting better at it. Learn to let go of the past. It does no good to hold on to past hurt, anger, and resentment. It only weakens your immune system and wellbeing.
- Don’t Worry About the Future – Set your goals, develop your intentions, know where you are going in life. But don’t worry about things you cannot control in your future. Do the best you can to make your dreams come true, but stop worrying about problems that might not even happen. Worry is a waste of brain energy.
- Meditate – Meditation is a great way to calm and clear your mind of problems or worry. There are various kinds of meditation that you can learn about and then choose the kind that you enjoy the most.
- Eat Healthy Foods – Eating healthy foods and drinking lots of water feeds your body and mind. Our brain does not function well unless our bodies are nourished. Thus, you will be able to deal with life better if you are getting proper nutrition and water. I used to tell my students in school that we “feed our bodies and water our brains” so we can learn. As adults, it’s so we can live a calm, happy life.
- Move Your Body – Exercise looks different for everyone so I avoid using that word most of the time when I write. But it’s important to move your body. Find activities that you enjoy doing that will get you moving. I enjoy dancing to low-impact YouTube exercise videos, walking, and going to the therapeutic warm-water indoor pool near me. It’s a great way to move your body! If you go to the Gym every day, that’s wonderful! Do what you enjoy because you will do it more regularly.
- Enjoy the Simple Things in Life – A trip to Disneyland is awesome, but it requires a lot of energy and you can’t do it everyday. Find simple things that you enjoy in life and do them on a regular basis. Maybe you enjoy making jewelry at the local bead boutique, or playing cards with your girlfriends once a week. Or maybe you enjoy being on a bowling league. Look for the simple things in life that make you happy and do more of those things. For me, I simply enjoy watching my grandchildren on sports fields, or at dance performances, or doing whatever makes them happy.
- Visualize – You can visualize your highest self, or you can visualize your place of pure contentment. You can go to your Calm Corner or Emotional Escape Space and spend time visualizing what PEACE looks like to you. Is it bright and cheerful, or is it pastel and airy? Does it have a ground and a sky, or does your peace float about in space? Visualization is a powerful tool to calm your mind and body — to take you away from chaos.
I want to live a peaceful life so I use all of these strategies. Some of them resonate with me better than others, but they are all very useful. I’ve found that the longer I use them, the easier it becomes to shut out chaos and live a peaceful life — starting from within.
Mindfulness journal prompts and a daily journal practice can also help you live a more peaceful life as you learn to focus on your mind, body, and soul.
Soon I will publish an article of inspirational quotes to help inspire you on your journey to live a peaceful life. I find that I Just Want a Peaceful Life quotes help me remember that it’s my choice to live a stressful life or a peaceful life. It it yours too!
Related Article: Visualize Your Highest Self
Final Thoughts: I Just Want a Peaceful Life
In conclusion, we all just want a peaceful life. No one wants to be constantly stressed and worrying about the future and struggling with chaos. We should take some time each day to relax and de-stress, so we can live our lives to the fullest. Let’s all try to make peace a priority in our lives.
I just want to live a peaceful life is something we all think about at times! But it all starts with our mindset.
If you have a healthy, positive mindset, you’ll find that you can live a more peaceful life without so many challenges.
Love to All! ~ Susan
Stop Thinking, “I Just Want a Peaceful Life” and DO Something
What are you going to do to make your life more peaceful? Share your thoughts in the Comments:)
