When I hear the word harmony, I instantly think of peace. Digging into that a little deeper for this month’s content, I read some really interesting perspectives on how to achieve harmony, which allowed me to do some of my own reflections on what harmony means for me and how I stay mindful of what contributes to my own inner peace.
The ability to self-regulate and stay calm is a skill that takes time to develop. It takes consistent practice to be maintained. This is particularly challenging when things happen around you that challenge that calm state. Such as stressors at work or home, conflict in relationships, or events happening in your community and around the world that are unsettling. When things like this occur for me, I find it necessary to do the following, not necessarily in this order.
Breathe!
Breath is so powerful. By focusing on deep breathing and taking in as much oxygen as possible, you can slow your heart rate and fuel your brain enough to be more rational about situations. Try these exercises for deep breathing.
Reflect
Why is this impacting me the way it is? Are there other things going on around me that are causing me to react out of proportion? Find out how you can start using journalling as a therapeutic tool here.
Reason
Be mindful of what can be controlled in this situation. What am I able to actually do about the information I have just received? By breaking things down on a smaller scale, you can be much more realistic about what can be done about it and release the frustrations around what you cannot control.
(pro tip: you can’t control much about how other people respond to you or how they receive what you have said)
By taking some time to pause and try these strategies, I am hopeful that you can keep more harmony and inner peace in your life. Remember that we aren’t perfect in how we react each time to things that disrupt our peace, but give it a try and see what happens!
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