Finding Peace and Calm in a Chaotic World

If you are someone who is looking around and watching the news these days thinking “how did it come to this?”, then you are not alone. Today’s world has been filled with unspeakable tragedies and disasters that have affected every race.

In these difficult times, it can hard to comprehend how much hurt is happening in the world, but we do have options to attain serenity and peace by turning this chaos into opportunities. By overcoming our feelings of hate, revenge, and resentment, we can be a light in a time of darkness.

One of the ways to stay calm in a chaotic world is to understand that life is all about wholeness. We are not living in an ideal world but a real one. We cannot enjoy the joyful days without valuing the darkness of the night. We cannot appreciate, define, and value light until we have the shadow to strike a balance.

Knowing what the reality of life is vital for us to realize that nothing is under our control. Light cannot exist without shadow. Anything based on the illusion of perfection is rooted in deceits because it is rejecting the reality of totality.

Another way to find peace in difficult times is to find the balance between your faith and reason. When in sync, a logical mind and a faithful heart can help avoid fascination, insecurity, rigidity, illusion, and confusion. Keep an open heart, but be mindful of what goes in. Be aware of what you think, but do not lose your faith in the power of love to transform your life. 

Here are some ways to find peace and calm in a chaotic world:

Take a break

Today’s advancing technology makes it much harder to take a break. One of the most common sources of stress for most people is being always connected to work, often with the expectation to respond at any time, day or night. Deciding to take a short break from the electronic devices that tether us to our work can enable us to be more relaxed for a moment and re-center ourselves on what is most important.

Take a break from social media, too! There was life before screens, and there can still be life apart from screens, even if for a few minutes a day.

Another way of taking a break is napping. Experts say that setting aside 20 to 30 minutes for a nap provides significant health benefits, including improved performance, alertness, and energy while avoiding the groggy period that comes with a long rest. It dramatically enhances memory and attention. Napping can also help to de-stress and relax, which can be a way of finding peace and calm.

Here are some tips to help you have the perfect nap that you deserve:

• Recognize that you are not lazy; napping will make you more productive and more alert after you wake up.
• Try to nap in the morning or just after lunch; human circadian rhythms make late afternoons a more likely time to fall into deep (slow-wave) sleep, which will leave you groggy.
• Avoid consuming large quantities of caffeine as well as foods that are heavy in fat and sugar, which meddle with a person’s ability to fall asleep.
• Instead, in the hour or two before your nap time, eat foods high in calcium and protein, which promote sleep.
• Find a clean, quiet place where passersby and phones will not disturb you.

Meditate

Meditation has long been one of the most commonly suggested methods to calm down and de-stress. It is an efficient way of transforming the mind. There are many types of meditation practice. For Catholics, meditation is the act of quieting your mind and heart, to be able to listen to God and to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking.

By taking time to breathe deeply and invite the Holy Spirit into your life, you can develop better communion with the Trinity (God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit), which leads to a greater sense of gratitude and positivity. Many studies have also shown that deep breathing also improves concentration, mental clarity, and emotional positivity.

Finding your inner peace and calm through Christian meditation is a form of taking time for yourself, praying to God, and reflecting upon his revelations and plans for you.

Trust that everything is part of a bigger plan

If you feel like you do not know why things happen or what will happen next, then you are not alone. It is so easy to feel scared and anxious in today’s world full of resentment and hatred. However, having faith and realizing that God has a plan unfolding, and taking comfort in the knowledge that He will not neglect you, or harm you, or forsake you, will help you find your inner peace and calm. God is loving, caring, forgiving, and accepting, and we need to remind ourselves of that often!