Serenity seems to be hard to come by lately with all that has been going on. We’ve spent months locked up inside with people or alone and lonely, and in both instances it was probably difficult to find space where you could find solitude and just be with yourself in a healthy way. I find that I need those moments in order to recharge and to be able to function in the world. When I’m overwhelmed by people and tasks, I neglect myself and I neglect my recovery. I’m not really that useful when I’m run-down and exhausted.
My oasis of peace and serenity is the lake where I live and I get a chance to get out there as much as I can. Looking at water and being surrounded by all that blue gives me the kind of peace that nothing else in the world could. I’ve written about “Blue Mind” a number of times, but it is true that water and the color blue have beneficial qualities when it comes to our psyche.
I have a friend who doesn’t have access to water, but she’s hung up pictures of the ocean around her apartment. She looks at them whenever she feels stressed and she says they actually do calm her down.
Another friend needs to sit among the trees and be able to touch the soil with her hands or feet—find a way to connect with nature in that way. Yet another person likes watching documentaries about nature.
Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash
We all have our little ways of escaping the daily grind, and if you haven’t found yours I urge you to do so. I know we’re all busy and overwhelmed—especially now that things are seemingly going back to “normal,” but it’s so important to carve out a little bit of space and time for yourself, give yourself some room to breathe. Whether it’s escaping to the nearest library, going to a park, or asking to take a neighbor’s dog for a walk—there are many ways of being on your own just with your thoughts in solitude that will allow you to recharge properly.
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