It may seem almost useless to talk about peace when all around us we see a continued state of ‘peacelessness’. It is this state that forces on us the necessity of finding our own source of peace to draw upon and live from.
Consider the flowers. They too live in this peaceless environment. They too have to endure the pollution and decay of the world of nature. Yet, wherever they found – by the congested road side, near the swamps, in the desert, amid the thorns and sometimes even on the dung hill – they are eternally beautiful, gay and fragrant. It is not by chance that flowers are given for every occasion, even the most sorrowful. Flowers call forth images of peace and tranquility. It is their nature.
We are also like flowers. We are the flowers of the garden of God. In this worldwide garden of everyday hustle and bustle, we too are threatened with pollution and degraded circumstances. Being flowers, we are expected to live in our natural state of peace and spread our fragrance all around us.
When we realise that the original nature of our soul is that of peace, we can combine with God who is the Ocean of Peace and so become the embodiment of peace…a living, thinking flower.
Stress has always been a part of our daily lives. We often find ways to deal it with but can become unbearable when you’re tightly under its grip. The important part here is to take control of stress before it ends up controlling you — which is to say that you will be making a lot of mistakes that will take quite a lot of time and effort to fix. This is where stress management comes in.
Why Get Rid Of Stress
We can never deny the fact that stress can be a big hindrance in everything you plan to do with your life. It can get in the way of business, career, or even with your family and friends. If you give in to the irritation and anger that is often the result of stress, you are bound to make wrong decisions and plenty of mistakes that will bring you down.
You can lose your job, do badly in a business deal, or even make enemies left and right when you let your stress control you. Learn to control stress and get rid of it every time it crops up for self-improvement.
Find The Source Of Your Stress
Knowing the source of your stress gives you plenty of options to counter it. If your stress stems from overwork, then take some time off from your busy schedule to relax. The home can also become a stressful environment, especially when it’s disorganized. If you think that the design of the interior is giving you problems, then take some time to rearrange the furniture around or add some home décor to make it comfortable to look at. Once you are able to determine the problem then you can take the necessary steps to correct it.
Learn To Relax Once In A While
Everyone would agree that work, or the demands of work, is mostly the cause of stress. If you think that you have that wild look in your eyes every time your boss asks you to do something, then you better ask for a vacation leave to relax yourself outside your work area before it leads you into trouble.
Take some time off from your busy schedule and visit the local spa. Pamper yourself by indulging in a full-body massage or get an aromatherapy session going on to help you relax. You can always take a vacation if you really want to get the thoughts of work out of your system, but a massage will do just fine if you can’t afford to be absent from it.
Find The Child Within You
Kids are known to be stress-free. Even if you scold them or force them to eat vegetables, you will never see them suffer from stress. The reason here is with their mindset to enjoy life as they see fit. You can take your cue from them and enjoy life more.
Find your inner child and just play. You can grab your Playstation out of the cabinet and bring out the games you usually play during your free time. Another idea is to listen to your favorite music or read some comics on the Internet. You can even play online games if you like just to get your mind off your work.
Keep in mind that the gist of stress management is not the methods you take for getting stress out of your system. The idea here is to learn how to divert your mind from the problems that causes stress to give yourself time to relax and face the problem with a clear mind.
Mental health issues affect nearly 15% of the population. This data can be alarming, considering that 2/3 of those diagnosed with mental disorder remains untreated. While mental disorders are sometimes caused by chemical imbalance in the brain, some of these are caused by the experiences that we need to deal with, such as death of a loved one or some other tragic or traumatic experience. Hence, the goal is to maintain a good or positive mental health, where one is able to take control of his life and able to cope with any and all situations that come his way. Here are some tips on taking care of mental health.
Always stay happy. This may sound vague, but there are many ways to stay happy. Remain positive and optimistic. Look at the bright side of life always.
So how do we stay happy? First, we must learn to balance our time. After a busy day or week, take time to relax. Do something pleasurable with your friends or family. It can be a hobby, sport or a simple activity. Aside from balancing our time, we must also manage time well. To minimize stress, make a schedule of the things you will do, and stick to it.
Be tolerant of others. All of us are different in many ways, so we must learn to accept each other’s ideas and opinion, even if it differs from our own. Learn to accept the weaknesses and shortcomings of others. Once we learn to accept, there is a lesser chance of conflict, which can be stressful and frustrating.
Spend time with your family and friends. Find time to talk to someone, even if you don’t make sense at all! What is important is the act of sharing your experiences, worries or problems with somebody. You must also learn to listen to their worries for them to feel better. In effect, not only have you helped yourself but you’ve helped your friend too.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle. You know the basics. Eat healthy food always. Exercise regularly. Sleep well. Avoid drugs and alcohol. Quit smoking. Avoid doing strenuous activities. Take time to rest.
Sadly, though, depression and other mental disorders affect children and the young. Parents have an important role in the child’s mental health. Parents must learn to communicate with their kids and at the same time listen to them. In their dealings, let the kid feel appreciated always. Acknowledge their strengths instead of focusing on their weaknesses.
Their coping abilities must also be developed. If they commit mistakes, explain so they will learn from them. Allow them to develop a sense of responsibility by letting them solve problems as well as make decisions. Teach them the importance of discipline and self-worth. Discipline them without making them feel unloved or unworthy.
Lastly, accept them for who they are. With acceptance comes love, respect, and everything else.
The key to taking care of mental health is being happy and in control of our lives. Once we know how to take control, we are able to cope with any and all situations that come our way. Being happy is not just a one-time event – it is a lifestyle. Stay positive always. Learn to find joy in the simple miracles of life. And be grateful for each wonderful day.
I like to think that I have learned a lot of things from living my life. It seems my years have been filled with a whole lot of good things with a few really hard things in between. I have had the privilege of knowing a lot of really great people and I’ve enjoyed countless memories with each of them. I have been happily married for quite a few years and I’ve been blessed with several children. I feel pretty good today, but not every day seems to go this well. Some days life is hard, the people I love the most are annoying, and all I want to do is hide myself in a closet and cry. It is on those days that I remember the advice that my mother often gave me growing up. When I was having a bad day she would say, ‘Honey, whatever happens today, don’t forget to smile. Nothing is as bad as it seems.’
I’ve found that piece of advice helpful on countless occasions as I’ve grown. I remember in elementary school feeling like my life had ended because my pet turtle died. I was over his death just a few hours later when my best friend invited me over for a sleepover. Our time was full of smiles and laughter. Or in high school I remember feeling like life couldn’t get much worse when I didn’t get asked to the prom by the guy I really wanted to go with. My mom reminded me to smile and assured me that my life would turn out just fine.
The older I’ve gotten the more I’ve learned to face every day in life with a smile. Good days and bad days alike I try to face knowing that for the most part, life tends to work itself out and return to normal after a little while.
I think the biggest thing that has taught me to live each day with a smile on my face is having children. My kids have helped to renew the sense of wonder and passion that I used to live with. They have helped me to rediscover the possibilities in new challenges and they have helped me to seize moments. They are constantly doing funny things that keeping me laughing and that keep a smile on my face regardless of the stresses of my day.
