Staying calm and peaceful

Mental health experts have simple suggestions on how to stay calm and peaceful. In this violent, chaotic, divisive world we live in, we need to seek ways to escape.

One suggestion is to take a walk outside and enjoy nature. We have beautiful grounds at our monastery where we can view a variety of trees, a vegetable garden, a flower garden, and grassy fields.

Another recommendation is to watch birds. We have a variety of birds that come to our feeders. There are doves, cardinals, blue jays, sparrows, finches, wrens, and sometimes orioles. Of course, the squirrels are around too, and they are fun to watch.

We also have astonishing sunrises and sunsets in Kansas. A medley of reds, oranges, pinks, purples, and golds make breathtaking views. I’m sure other places have beautiful sunrises and sunsets too.

Reading a good book is also calming. It is easy to get lost in a story and forget all about our worries and woes. I like novels, but biographies and other nonfiction have equal benefits.

Meditation is another way to become peaceful. We can focus on a word or phrase or a psalm from Scripture for a period of time. It’s a simple way to center our minds on our breathing. This excerpt from a poem by Julia Fehrenbacher says it well:

Breathe in

breathe out. Breathe until

you feel

your bigness, until the sun

rises in your veins. Breathe

until you stop needing

anything

to be different.