Everyday life presents us with a new set of challenges. Sometimes we are able to control the outcome of events, but oftentimes, we do not have input over the world around us. One thing that we always have complete control over is our personal response. We have the power to transform the way we react to negative information and news to control how we act and feel. Though it can be easy to maintain your zen in moments of peace, it’s essential to find your zen in all moments in order to maintain a harmonized and balanced disposition. Fortunately you can focus on little areas of improvement each day in order to find zen in your daily life.
Meditation
Meditation is something that is often passed over among the rush of everyday living. Many tell themselves that they simply don’t have the time to unplug when there is so much on their plates. However, meditation only has to require a few minutes of your time, and with the overwhelming benefits of physical and psychological nature, you’re only cheating yourself by not taking the time to meditate. Carve out a set time each morning or night to devote to this daily practice. It could be as simple as two minutes in the morning that would usually be spent scrolling through social media and several minutes in the evening after you have returned from work and enjoyed your dinner.
Meditation boasts physical health benefits, such as increasing blood flow to the brain and literally growing the brain. It reduces the stress induced hormone cortisol, as well as blood pressure and heart rate. Meditation can assist in stress recover and muscle relaxation, plus it boosts the immune system amongst other physical benefits. Meditation is a vital asset for achieving zen, since it increases positive emotions, reduces stress, strengthens emotional stability, and helps combat depression. If you’re new to meditation, you can follow meditation guides to assist with this new venture. Typically meditation involves clearing the mind and relaxing the body in a quiet area, while sometimes mantras are repeated and calming instrumental music is played.
Diet
In order to maintain a calm mindset, it’s essential to take care of our bodies. This involves properly hydrating oneself and getting enough rest and relaxation each day. However, diet also plays a large part in how we feel. If you are not fueling your body with the right nutrients, how can you expect it to fully function each day? Furthermore, it grows increasingly difficult to maintain inner peace if your diet is lacking in nutrition. Be sure to fuel your body with enough of the right foods in order to increase your immune system. You can either support a peaceful mindset by eating calming foods to keep you zen. So what foods contain properties that help promote inner peace?
Calm your nerves by consuming “good” carbs, such as those high in fiber (legumes, starchy produce) and high in protein (legumes, dairy). Some excellent carb choices include sweet potatoes, quinoa, beans, brown rice, and lentils. Stick with leafy green vegetables for a great dosage of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to keep your body healthy and calm. Other foods that promote calmness include oysters, eggs, salmon, fermented products (yogurt, kimchi, kombucha), tea, and almonds. When devising a healthy diet, it’s essential to achieve perfect balance when it comes to your blood sugar levels. You will feel your best if your blood sugar is neither too high or low.
Movement
Another essential component of health and overall well-being in exercise. Exercise includes meeting daily activity thresholds in order to promote heart health, as well as strength training and stretching. While many focus on cardio or lifting weights to get in shape, gentle exercises are just as important for achieving optimal health. Gentle exercises such as stretching can help relax and condition sore muscles, as well as provide the body with an important chance to unwind. Practices such as yoga and tai chi have spiritual components to them, allowing them to be centered around achieving inner peace, harmony with the universe, and a feeling of being centered in yourself.
Practices such as yoga and tai chi combine gentle movements with breathing to provide health benefits. These practices are able to improve mental health, increase strength, improve balance, improve flexibility, and assist with lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. You can reap the benefits of such calming practices no matter your religious beliefs, because they focus on a beautiful sense of harmony and connectedness with both yourself and the world.
Always remember that your life is what you make it. You and you alone have the power to transform your way of thinking in order to promote inner peace and happiness. By working on improving different areas of your life, you’ll find achieving daily zen is easier than you might think!