“A calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health.” Dalai Lama.

At the beginning of a new year many people set goals and focus on creating new habits and behaviours. This sort of change can be a positive thing and produce really good results. However, the process of getting from A to B can be a bumpy ride. It can be challenging to remain calm when there’s lots of change happening in your life.

Negative interactions, environments and news stories can also have a detrimental effect on your equilibrium and stop you from feeling calm. It’s easy to feel pressured and stressed by having to respond to many different demands and juggle many priorities.

We have all been conditioned to think in terms of instant gratification and results. Today’s fast paced society allows us access to a lot of information and resources quickly. This can leave us feeling overwhelmed. The major advances in technology like smart phones, laptops and tablets can make us feel like we are always “switched on and connected to the external world.”

There is also a new phenomenon “FOMO” (fear of missing out) which means that many people spend lots of time connected to social media feeds in order to catch up on all the latest news and updates by their connections. We also have rolling 24/7 news bulletins which allow for major news stories to be brought to us in wall-to-wall coverage which goes into lots of detail.

There’s little time to process and assess information that we come across. The demands of life can lead us to have limited patience to let things unfold naturally. Therefore, our minds struggle to get some quality downtime and have a rest.

An instant gratification mindset can mean that we don’t fully appreciate our life experiences as we move quickly from one event and experience to the next. It can lead us to not really ground our goals and allow them to take root.

At times we can also fail to appreciate all that we have and spend time thinking about what is missing from our lives. It’s very easy to set goals and then become so focused on the destination and outcome that we fail to enjoy the journey of pursuing and achieving them.

Here are a few thoughts on things that can help you to be calm and centred: –

Reduce the amount of time spent on technology

Have a cut off time for when to stop checking your phone, emails and social media feeds. Consider a technology detox and give yourself a technology free day (or weekend) every week.

Develop greater patience

It is said that patience is a virtue. Having more patience helps to create more life balance and will stop you expecting instant results. Letting life unfold naturally develops inner calm and reduces anxiety.

Develop the “acceptance” habit

Accept things as they are and stop trying to rewrite history. This means that you can focus on being more present and consider options and solutions to resolve any challenges that you have.

Externalise thoughts

Get into the habit of doing a mind dump of things that are worrying you or causing anxiety. Regularly record your reflections, lessons, desires and insights in a journal or notebook.

Create some quiet time – no distractions

Schedule some daily time where you are alone with your thoughts. It can be just 5 or 10 minutes. This will allow you to gain valuable insights and allow your inner wisdom to rise to the surface.

Less is more

Focus on fewer things. Get rid of unwanted items and clutter. Reduce the number of goals and tasks that you’re responsible for. Let goals take root rather than giving them superficial attention.

This week, why not take a few moments to pause and reflect. Consider what steps you can take to bring greater calmness to your life.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk