There was a time calm came on its own. In a hyper-stimulated world where notifications intrude our peace every minute, calmness is the new hard work. In 2022, it’s the new acquired skill. Our nervous systems are in overdrive. Calm doesn’t arrive on its own, we seek it!
We are living in an anxious world; every new day brings some trauma. Can you be the calm you want to see in the world? You can’t find calmness from a place of despair. From coronavirus tweets to economic uncertainty, riots, stress-inducing headlines – can we really quarantine ourselves from worry. People are wearing worry alarms to get notified about low levels of calmness, when they get super anxious. From calming your kids to reassuring senior citizens to soothe their anxiety – calmness has become sought after in the pandemic. According to Psychology Today, “The pandemic has been a driver of systemic exhaustion, and each meeting Zoomed, mask donned, and hand scrubbed has been a reminder of the constant threat…Finding calm is a skill that can be learned.”
If you want to make wellbeing a priority in 2022, make being calm a must on your everyday personal worksheet. There’s an entire industry out there trying to commercialise how to stay calm: books, podcasts, zoom sessions, meditation techniques…. Andy Puddicombe, founder of Headspace, a Buddhist monk turned his calmness app, Headspace into a mega success, estimated by Forbes for about $250 million. Life coach Ravneet Gandhok says, "People have different coping mechanisms dealing with stress. A big step in managing stress involves stopping negative self-talk in its tracks. Do things that are essential to vibrate your high frequency when external factors are trying to put you down. Do not plug yourself into fear, think safe.”
In a world where ‘pandemic panic’ is a real thing, we must now find ‘deep calm’. After months of shared stress, national anxiety, extreme uncertainty, we must cultivate calmness on everyday level. Says business coach Peri Pakroo, "Become masters of your own mood and peace. Keep a track on the triggers. Meditation can be an effective method for finding calm space in your mind even when agitating thoughts are swirling. Other people use techniques like dancing, journaling or creative practices like painting or playing guitar. Regular exercise is widely recognized as a powerful positive influence on mood and emotions. Other people's energies can have a significant impact upon us, keep close towards inspiring people."
It's important to change your personal narrative -- promote internal well-being by initiating action, no matter how small or large — that feels positive. Empower your good feelings. Says life coach Ashu Khanna, "Uncertain times push us harder towards transformation because we become desperate for anchoring. Tune into what is making you feel personally powerful. Pierce through the veil of noise to listen to surrender to inner voice is path of calmness. When our senses, emotions, thoughts and actions are aligned with inner voice, life is blissful. If the future seems uncertain, reassure yourself. It's essential to deliberately stop ourselves from creating disastrous 'what if' narratives, refrain from our tendency to catastrophizing. Every time you feel out of balance, come back to your inner core, feel a sense of well-being."
Turning discomfort into Tranquillity
We need to work towards collective calmness after experiencing collective grief. Try to escape the pandemic pressure. Tranquillity is big this year in the era of chaos. Maximise your tranquillity. Seek spaces that help you become more tranquil, serene and peaceful. Use affirmations. Try to fill your day with small moments of inner joy Here are 7 ways to find your everyday calm:
Be creative: The art of making something with your own hands and being creative prevents the mind to wander. Be it painting or baking, cooking a new dish, or solving a puzzle, playing wordle – helps you find calm. Keep your hands busy; don’t let your mind wander. Don’t worry about making something perfect — just enjoy the process!
Movement is the key: Move. And move more. Exercise and walking can help you redirect nervous energy. It also gets your feel-good neurotransmitters flowing. By the way, dancing in your living room counts as exercise! So, just dance away, walk, run.
Disconnect from digital devices: Put that phone down. Switch off from social media. Stay away from stressful news, toxic people. Make a note of whatever erodes your inner calm, disconnect from that.
Take breaks: If you are really feeling anxious and it is keeping you from your daily activities, just be. You don’t have to do any tasks. Go slow to get back into action mode. Breathe easy. Break it down, slow the process.
Be mindful: Mindfulness seems like the hip thing to do lately, but there’s a reason for that — it works. Try it; the focus comes with great benefits.
Why you should bother about feeling good: Danielle Brooker, joy coach and host of podcast, Let It Shine, believes when you choose to feel good about your circumstances new outcomes present themselves.
Connection: How often are we actually present for another person 100 per cent? Our greatest human need is to connect with other people in a positive way. Connect for calmness. Connect to share. Connect to feel peaceful within.