3 Ways to Find More Peace in Your Life

     I've been pondering over the past few weeks and months how to find more peace in my life. As the world within and around me continues to become more busy, more chaotic, and more demanding, I have found myself asking how to become more at peace in those rare quiet moments. In short, I have curated a Top 3 List that I have found works for me to find some semblance of personal peace, and essentially, joy.

     Peace Practice #1: Find Quiet

     My first Peace Practice is to Find Quiet, if only for 10-15 minutes. This quiet time can take place just about anywhere. For myself, I have found it on a short run without headphones; listening to my feet fall on the pavement and the ragged rhythm of my breath. It has happened for me in the car on my way to or from work; I switch the radio off and use the time to commune with myself and God.

     I have found that this practice of Finding Quiet is essential to finding peace for myself. As a teacher, husband, and dad, it is often difficult to set aside any time for Quiet at all, so it is something I have had to work in to times that already exist in my daily routines. Sometimes it's as simple as turning off the tv, radio, or podcast and using that time to focus on restoration.

     Peace Practice #2: Provoke Your Mind

     My second Peace Practice runs parallel to my first one. Once I have found some quiet and time to restore my mind, then I can go back to letting some sound back in. I have found, through trial and error, that my mind craves stimulation outside of my daily actions. Believe me, my job and family give my mind plenty of action, but I still need to consume materials that provoke the curious part of my mind.

     Recently, this has become listening to several different podcasts while doing my normal activities. I listen to NPR podcasts on the News and Politics while I cook dinner. I listen to Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard while I go out for my semi-regular runs. If I'm not listening to podcasts, then I am reading something that I enjoy; fiction or non-fiction, depending on where I'm at in my reading list.

     This allows me to consume something that stokes my internal flame while I'm doing something else. It's also why my first Peace Practice is so important. If I can't find quiet, then I can't let my mind stretch and learn at other times.

     Peace Practice #3: Turn off the Screen

     I know it seems hypocritical to write this on my laptop and then preach about the evils of technology, and I am by far one of the worst offenders when it comes to screen addiction, but I have found that it helps to turn it off. If I leave my phone in the other room for an hour, the first 15 minutes is pure anxiety and withdrawal followed by 45 minutes of Peace. It's surprisingly refreshing.

     This is also the Peace Practice that has taken the most intentional practice for me. I have been drawn in by the wonders of technology since I was young. Instant gratification, connection to a world that was previously unreachable, and simply a way to pass the time. As I have gotten older, however, it has become obvious how dangerous superfluous screen time really is.

     Finally, if my screen is away from me, I suddenly have much more time for my first two Peace Practices. It is so much easier to Find Quiet and Provoke My Mind if my phone is in a physically different location.

     I will challenge you to try some of these Peace Practices in your daily routines. Utilize some of your time to pull double duty; we're all busy, so it's critical to multi-task with the Peace Practices. Please reach out and let me know how it goes!

Best,