The most common obstacle that stands between achieving more inner peace is stress. This destructive force often disguises itself in rather unexpected forms, including weight fluctuation, distraction, sleep deprivation, and even muscle tightness. Fortunately, there are several things we can do to ensure it doesn’t continue to be an unwelcome guest in our lives. There is an array of completely free solutions to help you achieve a zen-like state of mind, such as increased inner clarity, calm, and a deeper sense of balance. If you only do one thing this week, take time to de-stress. Seek your “inner Buddha.” The Buddha was a real person, someone who was free–free of worries, plans, and anxiety. He taught that all men, women, and children can experience the bliss that he enjoyed. When your mental, emotional, and physical stressors push you further away from experiencing peace, it becomes impossible to access your true nature within. This results in you searching elsewhere and never truly finding what you’re looking for. Yet the truth is, there’s nothing to find. You already have all the tools you need. Ready to get your emotional and mental states revitalized and improve your body’s immune and hormonal balance? Here are five tips guaranteed to help: 1. Appreciate downtime. It’s perfectly okay to give yourself some breathing room. When you are constantly busy rushing around in an attempt to accomplish as much as possible in the least amount of time, even the things you love become tedious tasks. Let go of your need to feel you always have to live up to the hectic schedule you’ve created for yourself. Appreciating a little downtime will not only eliminate an abundance of stress from your daily life, it will also serve as a tool for self-development. 2. Learn to cut your losses. While some opportunities may lead you down the path to greatness, others just leave you worn out. It’s important to learn which of these chances that present themselves are worth taking and which ones not to pursue. If you make an effort to try and tackle every single one of them, you’ll only end up further out of balance. 3. Listen to yourself. Sometimes, saying no isn’t as easy as we imagined it would be in our heads. But trying to please everyone sure does get exhausting, doesn’t it? When you spread yourself too thin, there is little time left to take care of the most important thing: YOU. Knowing that you can’t please everyone should be enough to encourage you to honestly look at your schedule, ask yourself the right questions (“Does this fit within my current commitments?”), and listen to that inner voice. It’s guiding you for a reason. Know your limits. 4. Don’t rush. Do you have enough time in your everyday life? Well, when you’re living with constant distractions, it often seems that every minute must be accounted for. Stop rushing and start living! Learning how to remove yourself from the hustle and bustle of life, which is often times full of expectations and time constraints, will help you learn how to step into your own life with joy. Savor the pause. Pausing to delight in the simple joys of everyday life is the only way to truly live. 5. Stay present. The present moment is all there is and all there ever will be. There’s nothing you can do about the past or the future. If you’re not in the present moment, your days will be filled with anxiety and thoughts about things you can’t control. [Broken External Image]:http://theyec.org/wp-content/uploads/investments.jpg Source
