“Nobody can bring you peace but yourself”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Inner peace provides people with a sense of fulfillment, and is something that most of us strive to achieve. Peace allows people to think more clearly, and provides a path to living a less stressful life. Finding peace at home is about creating a tranquil environment to foster inner happiness, which is essential to a person’s well-being. A tranquil environment can be achieved by eliminating or resolving any challenges, obstacles, or conflicts that may exist in a person’s surroundings. Whilst it is a key contributing factor for achieving inner happiness, it must also be coupled with a person’s willingness to listen, accept, forgive, give, and cherish what they have. Finding peace at home is not as hard as people think, and can be achieved by taking some simple life changing steps. Below are ten examples to get you started:

De-Clutter Your Home 

Create a home environment to help clear your mind, and promote a positive balanced atmosphere. A great way to do this is by implementing Feng Shui. Feng Shui has been practiced for centuries, and assists with creating harmony by strategically positioning furniture/objects in the home. By removing unnecessary clutter and obstructions, a simple environment can be created that encourages the positive flow of energy.

Separate Work from Pleasure

Have a designated time and place to do your work. Whether you are doing house-work or working from home, this will assist with not thinking about work 24/7, and allow for your mind to relax. By differentiating between work time and relaxation time creates boundaries that can help your mind find a peaceful balance.

Create a Place of Zen

Your home is your paradise, and should be treated as such. Create a place of tranquility combined with the positive energy of nature. Indoor plants and flowers are a great way to combine the natural world with indoor household objects, and furniture. The green color of nature is known to be calming, and therefore encouraged to promote a peaceful atmosphere. Consider using aromatherapy to enhance your surroundings with relaxing scents. You may also want to consider having a small water fountain to emulate the sound of water, which can be very relaxing. 

Allocate Time for Yourself

Take time out for yourself to achieve your goals, and do the things you enjoy. For example, listen to your favorite music, walk your dog, read the news, exercise or plan your next career step. By doing this you are giving yourself a sense of fulfillment and achievement.

Communicate

Open communication is the key to resolving conflicts, and creating a safe environment where opinions can be expressed without a negative consequence. Take the time to communicate with friends, and family to share what is on your mind, and vice versa. We often forget to listen, and put ourselves in the other person’s shoes. By listening, staying calm, and communicating your thoughts diplomatically people can significantly reduce tense situations from escalating. Keep in mind that it is important to be respectful, and objective when resolving conflicts. You may not always agree however by listening, and compromising solutions can be found.

Accept People for Who They Are

Avoid being judgmental by criticizing or seeing deficiencies in others. It is not uncommon for people to disagree, and it is not about who is wrong or right. It is about listening, understanding and finding a solution by either explaining your point of view or compromising. Being judgmental fosters negative energy, and is not productive. Rather forgive others for their shortcomings, and assist them with going down a positive path. Humans are by no means perfect, and if you inadvertently did something wrong, forgive yourself.

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

– Gandhi

Be Mindful

Be aware of your mind, body and soul to appreciate what you have. Being thankful, and grateful every day for what you have is instrumental in a achieving a positive attitude. By focusing on what you have provides self fulfilment, and a sense of achievement.

Have a Positive Attitude

Focus on what you can do, and do not worry about things out of your control. Worrying is not a good use of your time, and can make you feel down.  Have a ‘can-do’ attitude and focus on solutions to solve problems. By doing this you will avoid getting bogged down with things that you cannot influence, but instead seek alternative positive outcomes. “For every minute you remain angry, you give up 60 seconds of peace of mind” – Ralph Waldo Emmerson.

Eat Well & Exercise

Keep your mind and body fueled with healthy food, and exercise to promote well-being. A healthy mind, and body will maximize your ability to reach your full potential. If possible having a designated exercise space at home can help encourage continuous exercise routines.

Meditate

The importance of mental wellness is on the increase, especially given that companies are focusing on employee satisfaction, community social governance and wellness programs. Make time to meditate for approximately 5-30 minutes a day to clear your mind, relax, and provide a sense of calm. By having a clear mind, you can solve problems more easily, and it also helps relieve anxiety. 

“With every breath, the old moment is lost; a new moment arrives. We exhale and we let go of the old moment. It is lost to us. In doing so, we let go of the person we used to be. We inhale and breathe in the moment that is becoming. In doing so, we welcome the person we are becoming. We repeat the process. This is meditation. This is renewal. This is life.”

– Lama Surya Das

In summary, there are many different ways to find peace at home, and the ten action steps above can definitely get you started. The foundation to achieving peace at home is to create a tranquil environment, and combine it with a positive ‘can-do’ approach to life. Peace at home will not only benefit you, but also any other household members. One could argue that peace, health and happiness are the most important attributes of life. Therefore, to achieve these important goals, people can strive towards attaining them through self-discipline, awareness and action. Your home is your castle, and you should be peaceful to support life’s ups and downs. Take charge with some of these very simple actionable steps to continue your path for peace and happiness at home.