PEACE OF MIND

“Peace is not the highest goal in life; it is the most fundamental requirement” (Sadguru)

Peace of mind is a general feeling of being in control of one-self and our thoughts amidst everything else surrounding us. Peace of mind is a priceless thing and also rare to achieve in today’s world. One, who has it, can get themselves anything else they want. One, who lacks it, may have everything; still never really enjoy it to the full capacity. It is not static and may leave us without even realizing. It requires practice on a day to day basis to stay in peace. The meaning of peace may differ from person to person based on which stage of life they are in and their definition of peace. To illustrate, for a child, being loved and cared by his/her parents may bring him/her peace whereas for a teenager, being socially and emotionally accepted by his/her friend circle may bring the peace of mind, if one is a job aspirant and in tremendous pressure, getting his dream job or any job with decent salary will bring him the peace, parents may find their peace of mind when they see their children doing well in life , for some achieving a goal will bring peace of mind and so on.

Peace of mind impacts our work and work-life as well. There is a direct co-relation. I remember in the initial days of my job life, I had a boss who would always be in a bad mood. He would hardly smile. Everyone was afraid to approach him because he would not leave any occasion to verbally abuse anyone in the office, no matter how small the issue may be. I never saw him appreciating or being pleasant with anyone. Too bad for those who were reporting to him directly. Some people had no option so they chose to work for him taking in all that toxicity every day. The boss did not enjoy cordial relations with his father and brother who were also in the same office as him. Later, after years of quitting that job, one day I found out that my ex-boss left his home and went on to became a monk. It was all over in the local news channels because of the way he disappeared from his residence and also since they were a big name in my city. It was funny when I first heard it but instantly it hit me. He was not happy at home; he did not have his peace of mind. All his frustrations would be released on his poor work colleagues. Probably it was his coping mechanism. Certainly, it impacted his reputation and also those who worked for him. Finally, he could no longer take it and to achieve peace, he decided to leave everything and become a monk. I did not keep myself updated with the later developments as it was of least importance to me. Nonetheless, this was one straight example of how peace of mind affects work.

(Disclaimer: My intention here is not to put anyone in a bad light. The example has been shared just for the sake of the context of the article discussed)

Have you ever felt that feeling of waking up on a particular day and not feeling your best? The reason could be anything from poor sleep quality, sleep deprivation, fatigue, and unsettling thoughts and so on. Sometime we do not even know the reason behind not being bright and energetic. I am sure all of us can resonate with such feelings. It is absolutely okay if we feel so once in a while, but if it is the case on a day to day basis or such scenarios are more frequent, we need to introspect.

So, what do we do in such a situation?

The best thing is to allow oneself the time to understand. May be write down your feelings- how exactly have you been feeling since the time you woke up, frequency of such episodes- are they persistent or just happens once in a month or so. Usually, this one thing will help you to find out the source. Sometime it is a repressed emotion hiding beneath which may cause one to feel drained or demotivated for even days later. Journaling one’s thoughts is a powerful exercise.

If writing is not your cup of tea, then meditate for around 10 minutes, no disturbance, no break. See how you feel when you try to quite your mind. Are certain thoughts bothering you or is it just a general feeling of being unwell? Can some proper rest or a vacation help you rejuvenate? Accordingly, seek professional help if you feel things are not in your control.

Talk to someone regarding your feelings. This is another way to release your emotions. You are lucky if you have a person who listens without judgment. Talking often allows us to see things from others perspective as well. It may not help one with finding an immediate solution, nonetheless will ease you from feeling burdensome.

Once you are finally able to find out the cause of it, understand that it is totally normal to have negative thoughts. No one can remain positive all the time nor is it healthy to fake it anyway. Repressed emotions can damage the functioning of internal organs. There is science behind it and there are lot of research studies carried out throughout the world regarding the mind and body connection. It is always necessary to keep a check on our thoughts. Surrounding ourselves with thoughts, people, places books, videos, anything that is spiritually, emotionally, psychologically uplifting will help us deal with negative emotions and achieving peace of mind. Practice, practice and constant practice is the key.

Benefits of peace of mind:

• Good health
• Good interpersonal relations with people
• Good personal and professional life
• Pleasing personality
• Better concentration ability
• Good sense of patience and tolerance
• Ability to learn, unlearn and re-learn , gain wisdom
• Riddance from ego and complexes
• Freedom from stress, anxiety and worries or better way to deal with them
• Inner happiness, calm and bliss.
• Pleasant mood
• Ability to take on the day and make the most of it.
• Better self confidence, love for self and others.

Hope you found this article useful.