Creating peace and joy in your life is a habit that takes practice. And while I'm no guru, I've made a concentrated effort to bring more calm into my space. Mark 4:39 tells us to let "peace, be still," which is a favorite saying of my mother whenever her grandchildren are cutting up. It's a phrase meant to remind us in spite of whatever our current circumstance may be, we must allow peace to become a mainstay in our lives.
For those in their 20s, this can at times present a challenge, as the slew of non peaceful things that occupy our space can be extensive and heavy. Between learning how to balance adult responsibilities, all while trying to maintain some resemblance of a social life, finding relative peace basically becomes a pipe dream. For me, it's been a practice that has taken a boatload of practice, and is constantly being retuned to fit my life as it moves. I began looking into the idea of creating peace about a year ago, when I went through a break up. As is common after a breakup, I'd been in a dozy of funk, and after humping out as much of my depression as I could (whew, my poor body), I began looking for healthier ways to get through my issues. After digging through numerous podcasts, blogs, books, and other feel good tidbits of information, I feel comfortable to share my own path to creating a more cohesive existence
Declutter
Purging is good for the soul, and it brings the added bonus of being able to spread out on your bed without having a massive pile of clothes on it. As I fought through my post-breakup mood, one repeated piece of advice I came across was making sure old energy wasn't junking up your space. When we hold on to things that we may no longer have use for, we are literally holding on to our old lives. This in turn makes it hard for us to create room for new energy, and can be a huge stunt in your overall growth. Decluttering forced me to wade through all of the crap I'd collected over the years, and It goes without saying a good chunk of it was outdated. By the time I'd finished my first big purge, I had bags filled with clothes, knick knacks, and a bunch other random things I no longer had any use for. Getting rid of that stuff felt like a weight had been lifted, and has helped me in crafting a space that doesn't feel so crowded.
Organize
The saying "if you stay ready, you don't have to get ready," is one that will always ring true. And what better way to help you stay ready, than by being organized. Organization has been something that I've had to really hone in on over the years. While I know it's nothing new, it's a practice that has taken me the most work, and is one that I'm still learning how to properly execute. However, the calm that it has brought into my life when I know exactly where things are and how my day will flow is immeasurable, and aids in giving me order as I work through my tasks. I can't say being organized looks the same for everyone, but writing things down is a great place to start. A friend of mine tipped me off to Michaels as a good source to find some tools to help you stay organized, and boy did I hit a personal jackpot. I found two inexpensive notebooks that make staying organized easier, and I use them religiously. There is also a treasure trove of apps that can help with staying organized if you're more tech-savvy, though I'll admit to gravitating towards more old-school methods. The point is, organization is a tool that can be beneficial to your overall state of being, and what better place to start working on it than in your 20s.
Meditation
Watching Angela Bassett chant as Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It was always my favorite scene from the film. It's the turning point for Tina Turner, and it's what helps in giving her strength to finally escape her relationship. Now my own journey to meditation isn't nearly as harrowing as Tinas is, but much like her I've found my way to it, and it's been a huge addition to helping maintain my s**t. Meditation is another practice that has taken some work, though this is on a vastly different scale that what I'm used to. Meditation requires you to calm your mind, which seems almost impossible considering how many distractions that surround us. However, it's benefits are real, and I can honestly say it's become a lifeline for me as I trudge through this phase of my life. I started meditating about a year ago, and have come across a few popular apps that can help get you started. Currently I'm using the Calm app from the Apple store. It's free to download, and has a number of features that I enjoy, like providing you with a tracker so you can see your progress. I've also dabbled with Headspace, which is also free and can be found in the Apple store, and gives you a really solid foundation if you're new to meditation. No matter which route you take, I think it's a great habit to form in your 20s. Not only does it make facilitating your thoughts easier, it can provide you with a more holistic way to approach some of life's problems.
Set Goals
It's always nice having something to work towards. It's what gives many of us drive and purpose, and helps create order as we work towards becoming better. Being in your 20s can feel like the world is simultaneously for you and against you, and rarely lends itself to making you feel good. When you set goals for yourself, it's almost as if you're creating a roadmap for how you want your life to pan out. Goal setting is your way of telling the universe THIS is what I want, now what are we going to do to get there. From there it becomes a test of your own endurance to see just how hard you're willing to work. And once you do reach them, it provides your psyche with the most intoxicating hug you've ever received. Now, understand that setting a goal doesn't mean you have to necessarily stick with it. As our lives change, so will some of your goals, and that's ok! Your goals may look much different at 21 than they will at 24 (trust me). What setting goals can do for you, is give you structure, and something relatively tangible to work for. It's what helps you get out of bed in the morning and fight your way through whatever circumstances surround you. You may begin by setting some longterm goals for a certain timeframe, and then you can whittle those down into weekly goals, as you work towards the big dream. Or maybe you do the opposite and establish small daily goals to work towards, and just cross them off the list as you go. It doesn't matter how you do it, but trust me when I say goal setting can be a useful in helping you stay the course, and should be an added weapon in your arsenal as you work towards nirvana.
No one person is perfect, and I struggle at times with following my own advice, but you should keep in mind these practices take time, and even then they may need to be tweaked to fit our changing lives. These tools have been crucial in supporting me as I steer through my 20s, and I'm hopeful they provide a sort of guide to anyone who needs it. So as we try to create peace and stability in our lives, feel free to use this as a jumping off point, and realize you are entitled to calm and cool life. So until next time folks, love and peace.