Life gets crazy and stressful at times, no matter how hard we try to stay calm, collected, peaceful and relaxed.
Sometimes we get unexpected news that throws us off balance. Health challenges, relationship challenges, financial hardships, loved ones passing, major life changes, business or employment changes or challenges, natural disasters, politics…
The list of negative life events endless and we would drive ourselves crazy if we spent too much time or energy thinking about all of the challenges and stresses that life brings to everyone.
Thankfully our focus during these times can make a huge difference in how we experience the tough times.
Whether we are experiencing large or small life stressors we can choose to find peace amongst the chaos.
I have experienced a lot of life’s stressors so I am speaking from experience, not as someone who has glided through life in the easy lane. This past summer I lost someone dear to me. A couple of years ago fought cancer and won, while my first baby was just a toddler. I’ve been injured in car wrecks that were not my fault. I was just as traumatized by 9/11 as the rest of this country (can you believe that the ten year anniversary is this year?) I could list plenty more, but you get the point. I’m no more a stranger to life’s struggles than you are.
I have found some ways to find peace amongst the chaos of life.
Listen to Music
Yesterday was a stressful day and I had some quiet time so I scrolled through the music on my ipod touch and I listened to some of my favorite music from my high school and college days. I hadn’t listened to most of the music in many years and the music really touched me deep inside my soul.
Partly because back in those days music was a big part of my life and I got a lot of inspiration and comfort from music. Just listening to some songs can bring back memories in a profound way that nothing else can. It bring me back to specific time of my life and I can relive those feelings through the music.
Music can bring me back in touch with me: the me that I once was, the me that I am today, and the me that I hope to be. These days as a mom, wife, entrepreneur, blogger and more I can easily lose touch with myself.
Take a Mental Vacation
You can take a mental vacation while listening to music or while everything is quiet. Just close your eyes and imagine being somewhere that you love. It could be a favorite vacation spot, a quiet meadow, a bubbling brook, a mountain top or anywhere that you like.
You can go for a walk and enjoy nature, be sure to take time to pay attention to the small things. Look at the details of a flower or a bug, watch some wildlife, see what shapes you can find in the clouds.
Just allow your mind and body to relax and just enjoy life away from all of the chaos, even if it’s only for a short while.
Be Grateful
Being grateful can really have a big impact on not just our attitudes but also in how we feel overall. When I was dealing with the grief of losing a loved one over the summer I found myself able to really appreciate the small things in life. It was as if the backdrop of the deep grief that I was feeling brought out the magnificent colors of the small things which I normally don’t see.
If you don’t have a gratitude journal now may be the time to start one. Or you can verbally express what you are grateful for. Either way it will help to get your focus on what is good about life and off what is stressful.
Snuggle
The power of physical touch deserves more credit than it gets most of the time. Whether you snuggle with a partner, a child, a pet, or another friend or relative you do good to your soul.
One of my college professors shared a profound story that I have always remembered. He shared about how one day he came up to his aging mom in the kitchen and rubbed her shoulders for a little while. She became very emotional with gratitude and told her son that nobody had touched her since her husband had died years earlier.
Comic Relief
Find something that makes you laugh and spend some time laughing. Do you have a favorite movie that makes you laugh? I watched Elf numerous times over the holidays and I had many great laughs. Another one of my favorites is Bruce Almighty, I actually cried so hard that I laughed in the theater when I saw that one.
If you don’t have time for a movie find an episode of a funny show that you enjoy. I like watching old Saturday Night Live episodes and America’s Funniest Home Videos. Some of those are hilariously funny. Look up something funny on youtube – ever seen spiders on drugs (that one does a have a little language) or the “will it blend?” series? Google (or Swagbuck, in my case) funny jokes. Find some comics, when I was younger I couldn’t wait for the Sunday paper so that I could read the newest comics for a good laugh.
What are some of your favorite ways to find peace amongst the chaos of life?
If you enjoyed this please share and comment! Many thanks!
All of the things that you wrote about work for me. I also like candles, reading and going for walks in nature (when it’s not winter). Great post!
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Stacy Reply:
January 14th, 2011 at 5:23 pm
Leanne,
Oh yes, reading! That is a great way to relax and forget about the worries of life.
Thanks for sharing!
Stacy
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Oliver Tausend. Oliver Tausend said: RT @growwithstacy How To Find Peace Amongst Chaos: Life gets crazy and stressful at times, no matte… http://bit.ly/efVKg8 #proveit2011 [...]
Hi Stacy,
Thank you for this heart-felt post, and I admire you for being a strong woman.
Also, I am glad to be connecting with you through Prove It group.
Thanks for reminding me that despite all the chaos, a little pause, by doing all the things you outlined here will help us regain composure and focus. I love listening to upbeat (hiphop) music. That makes me forget my worries (and dance to it too!
), and rejuvenates me in a way.
-Rowena
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Stacy Reply:
January 14th, 2011 at 7:58 pm
Rowena,
Thank you for your comment, I’m glad to have the chance to connect with you through the challenge too. I can tell that it really is going to be a challenge, but a great group of people doing the challenge together.
Dancing is a great way release stress from life’s chaos! Thanks for sharing!
Stacy
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Hi Stacy,
Thanks for sharing this with us all. Your tips are perfect. Snuggling is great. Sometimes we just need a hug and it’s ok to ask for one. Gratidude is so helpful even in the deepest reaches of grief. Laughter is so good for our health. Laughter lets us know that everything is going to be ok. Great post Stacy, thanks!
Dandy invites you to read… Live out of your imagination- not your history!
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Stacy Reply:
January 21st, 2011 at 11:17 am
Dandy,
Great point about how sometimes we need to ask for a hug!
Thanks for sharing!
Stacy
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Hi Stacy,
Oh what a great post!!! Thankyou for the reminder to take time to “stop & smell the roses”!!
Laughter is the best medicine!! I have heard say that for every belly laugh you burn 12 calories, well my children have questioned why I am still overweight????lololol I do laugh a lot & it always helps me to relax even in chaos!
I am no stranger at all to a hectic life!! Never a dull moment at our house!
Thanks again for sharing & I believe in you, hang in there, we all are going to finish strong by helping each other on this journey of the challenge!!
Wishing you calmness & peace,
Karlene
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Stacy Reply:
January 21st, 2011 at 11:20 am
Karlene,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Good point about laughter being medicine! I’ve heard studies that show that hospital patients who watch or read comedies heal faster than those who don’t! Amazing!
Stacy
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Good article Stacy,
I can sure relate with your introduction.
Right now we are in Thailand, and some of our best friends have a little 5 year old boy whose body is riddled with cancer. We feel for them so much.
Also, this blog challenge that we are in right now has got the heat turned up a bit as well.
But through it all, we definitely can have peace, and I think you handled this topic very well.
It made me smile as I was reading the point about Laughter.
Also appreciated the part on personal touch. Sometimes reaching out to touch others like our children does as much for us as it does for them.
This is a good article.
Keep up the good work!
Martin
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Stacy Reply:
January 21st, 2011 at 11:23 am
Martin,
Thank you for sharing about your friends little boy, that is truly a challenging situation. I hope that he will recover and I hope that his parents are staying strong, there is nothing worse than seeing your child suffer. I will certainly pray for this family.
Stacy
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Hi Stacy
What a beautiful post, exuding compassion and understanding, hard earned through tough experiences. All your examples are fabulous and I would add ‘smile’ whenever we catch ourselves being too serious. It’s amazing how doing such a simple thing can make such a difference!
Stroking a pet, a cat or a dog, is also wonderfully relaxing and comforting. I also totally agree with the comments about ‘gratitude’. I often take the opportunity to express my gratitude when I am driving and sitting in traffic or traveling up the freeway! No doubt you have seen the horrendous flooding that we have had here in Australia. I live on the other side of the country and every night I express my gratitude for having a lovely clean and dry bed to climb into!
I so enjoyed your post
Kisane
Kisane
Kisane invites you to read… Overcoming The Sixteen Obstacles To Success- Part 2
[Reply]
Stacy Reply:
January 21st, 2011 at 11:27 am
Kisane,
Smiling is a great way to feel better, it releases endorphins so that we physically feel better! I remember when I was a teenager I wold go into my room and put on a fake smile when I was feeling down because the fake smile would help so much!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Stacy
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Hi Stacy,
thanks for sharing your story. You are right: Everybody has their challenges. We are growing with our challenges and sometimes it seems that our challenges grow with us
Making a mental break is highly important in order for us not to focus on the negative. There so much negative stuff going on in the world, we won’t be able to solve it by feeling bad and doing nothing,
Take care
Oliver
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I definitely agree that physical touch sometimes doesn’t get as much credit as it deserves. Although we Westerners tend to not touch as much as, say, the British, we have just as much of a need for it. This needs to be fixed somehow!
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