Finding Peace In A Chaotic Time
When you focus on putting kindness into the world, it is difficult to stress or be anxious.
The world seems to be in such disarray lately. It is hard to open social media or turn on the television without seeing hate, fighting, and chaos. I started to realize that all this was taking a toll on me mentally and emotionally. I have long struggled with anxiety, and it seems to be at an all-time high right now.
Lately, I’ve been finding myself dedicating way too much mental energy to things that make me unhappy, but then I had an epiphany. I realized that I cannot control what is going on socially and politically, but there are things that I can do to bring positivity into the world. Here are a few things I am doing to restore order to my life, that may help you be more peaceful and relaxed:
1. Focus on the positive. It is so easy to complain about things — everything. When I complain, I take the focus off of all the positive things in my life and turn toward the negative. I am starting a complaining diet. I am making a conscious effort to complain less. This doesn’t mean that I will stop complaining, but it does mean that I will be more mindful and intentional with my words and thoughts.
2. Take a social media break. I have a love/hate relationship with social media. I love keeping up with friends, seeing their kid’s and dogs’ Halloween costumes, and seeing what amazing things people are cooking up for dinner. What I don’t love it when people use social media to spread hurtful messages, especially when it is someone I love and care about. I realize I can’t change people’s minds, but I can be one less person who sees their negativity.
3. Kindness matters. Did you know that kindness is contagious? It is! So, do something nice for someone. I love this because it is such an easy thing to do. It sounds a little self-serving, but I promise this will be good for you as the giver and the other person as the receiver. Even the smallest act of kindness can make a positive impact on someone else. Also, when you focus on putting kindness into the world, it is difficult to stress or be anxious.
These are a couple of things that work for me, and they all come down to one thing — being intentional. I have to be intentional with my time, thoughts, and actions to protect myself. If my mindset is negative, I will attract negativity. It is perfectly fine to set boundaries and refuse to interact with people who make you feel bad.
