#zentang

The Secret(s) to Finding Inner Peace

Although social media may portray otherwise, the last half of 2017 was really hard on me. I was stuck in my head a lot of the time, I wasn’t able to eat, I woke up tired and depressed, and continued to feel lost. I’ve never felt this way before (at least all at the same time) - the feeling was so foreign to me and I didn’t know what to do. Everyday I fought my “inner-demons” and tried to find my way back to peace, but of course, THE MIND IS A POWERFUL ENTITY, and I slowly slipped back into the dark.

I knew that this was something that only I could cure, and not before long, I made a decision to get out of the funk. THIS IS WHAT’S COOL ABOUT LIFE: YOU’RE ALWAYS IN CONTROL OF THE SELF. Looking at myself in the mirror today, I can proudly say that I’m a lot happier than I was before, and I’m excited to share how I got here.

Keep in mind that finding inner-peace is no peaceful journey. It takes discipline, focus and patience. I still have a long way to go, but by documenting my day-to-day, I was able to compile a list of habits I’ve developed to live a zen-filled life.

*DISCLAIMER: Be real with yourself - no day is the same and there will ALWAYS be ups and downs, but to keep yourself grounded and balanced, I highly suggest acquiring some of these habits below:

Practice self-love (Stop being so hard on yourself. You’re a fucking queen/king. OWN IT)

Meditate (I meditate 2-3 times a week for about 10-15 min and honestly I love that my meditation has become deeper and deeper each time - WE GOIN IN)

Express gratitude (Every morning when I open my eyes, I. AM. GRATEFUL. I’M ALIVE)

Self-Reflect (What can I do to make this better? Why do I feel this way? Why is this happening to me? - you’d be surprised about what you learn about yourself when you self-reflect <— I feel like this sentence could have been written better lmao but you get it, right?)

Learn to be more “present” and mindful of others/your surroundings (Let go of the past, and stop worrying so much about the future - everything you need is right here, right now)

Change your perception (Don’t like what you see? Try a different POV)

Write in a journal (I love writing about my day and reflecting on what I did or how it made me feel. You can’t keep all that in your head! You gotta vent).

Write a to-do list everyday - STAY PRODUCTIVE AND FEEL ACCOMPLISHED! Nothing feels better than crossing something off my to-do list. NOTHING.

Light candles and lay in silence (It’s ridiculous looking at the amount of candle jars I’ve accumulated)

Open your windows and let natural light in

Add plants to your room (this stimulates oxygen flow, providing you with clean air to breathe)

Rid of any toxic people in your life (You only got one life, so why waste it on human beings who serve you no good?) *shrugs shoulders*

Focus on your passions or work on discovering what those passions are

Workout *duh*

Eat clean *duh*

Stop playing the victim lol

Read a self-help book, or read in general (I’m such a slow reader, but I made myself a goal to finish 10 books this year lol)

Drink hot tea (I always feel like I’m cleansing my insides when I drink tea)

Get a full nights rest (I’m proud to say that I get a full eight hours every night)

Do things for YOU! (In the end, there will ONLY be you, so make sure you’re living a life that YOU want, not what others want).

Dance!!! BRUHHH I DANCE BY MYSELF IN MY ROOM EVERYDAY! AND EVEN IN THE SHOWER