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A 5-Step Routine For Instilling Peace Into Your Chaotic Schedule

Shannon Kaiser
Author:
April 21, 2022
Shannon Kaiser
By Shannon Kaiser
mbg Contributor
Shannon Kaiser is the best-selling author of 5 books on the psychology of happiness and fulfillment including The Self-Love Experiment, Adventures for Your Soul, and Joy Seeker. She has a B.A. in Journalism and Communications from the University of Oregon.
Peaceful Young Woman in Springtime
Image by Lyuba Burakova / Stocksy
April 21, 2022
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There was a time in my life when I couldn't relax because I kept my schedule full to the brim. I never allowed myself to slow down or just be. I thought that if I did, I would get left behind or become complacent. There was always more I could do, and I unknowingly wrapped up my worth in outside things like my achievements, my ability to help and always be there for others, my job title, etc.

After I was diagnosed with clinical depression and began suffering from chronic anxiety, I knew something needed to change. I spent time untangling myself from hustle culture by learning more about my daily habits and questioning why it was so hard for me to slow down. This, in turn, invited me into a more nurturing way of living.

How to stop the cycle of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.

The reality is, having a busy schedule can sometimes feel like a badge of honor. In reality, it is our ego—the fearful part of our mind—trying to control our environment. So many of us frequently get overwhelmed by life's demands and what is or isn't happening in our lives or out in the world stresses us out even more.

You may feel like you aren't where you are supposed to be or that things aren't going the way you want, but learning how to tame your inner world will help calm some of the chaos in your outer world.

Learning how to relax and decompress is as important as breathing.

Striving to do less isn't just about mindfulness and our mental health—it is a return to our natural way of being. It isn't natural for humans to be doing all the time. We aren't built to sustain the amount of push we've been subjecting ourselves to. Instead, learning how to relax and decompress is as important as breathing.

To help end the cycle of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, I started to implement daily routines for turning inward in search of peace. In my new book, Return to You: 11 Spiritual Lessons for Unshakable Inner Peace, I share the following step-by-step process for connecting to calm:

Step 1: Detach from drama.

The more you can disengage from the drama happening outside of you in the world, the easier it will be to go inward and focus on your own healing. So often the world tries to pull us in different directions. Daily demands and to-do's can keep you from being fully present on your journey. Instead of giving your attention away to these outside forces, declare, "Peace is my priority, and I detach from drama."

Begin by paying attention to what you are consuming—what you watch on TV, what you read on social media, and who you listen to for advice. What you consume will ultimately consume you because we always get more of what we focus on. Be aware of your thoughts and intentions. Stop focusing on situations, people, or things that tank your energy, and instead focus on your inner world and actively choose peaceful thoughts. Cultivate kind thoughts and see fear for what it is: a distraction and an illusion that tries to manipulate our reality.

Step 2: Practice the pause.

One of the most important ways to navigate stress and reclaim your personal power is to be present. Often we get triggered by situations and we go into reaction mode, but this can be a trauma response. Instead, take a moment to pause. There is no need to judge what comes up, but rather allow and surrender to the current moment. You will find unbelievable peace in the present moment when you take a moment to pause and focus on your breath.

Step 3: Drop from your head into your heart.

Our thoughts are powerful directives. They will either help us or hurt us, depending on where we give our attention. The mind will analyze, judge, blame, and try to make sense of the world, but your heart trusts, allows, and loves. There is no point in trying to change the world, but there is a point in changing your thoughts about the world, and this happens when we drop from our head into our heart.

Step 4: Know your intuition style.

You have an inner superpower that will guide you to safety, freedom, and the path that is always for your highest good: your intuition. Learning how to trust your inner voice instead of listening to the contradictory and fear-based voices of the outside world will help you feel peace faster. Knowing how your unique intuition style works with you can help you build up your inner faith and trust muscles. In my book Return to You, I created a quiz to help you understand and strengthen your connection to your intuition. You can take the corresponding quiz online too.

Once you have a sense of your intuition type, develop a plan to increase your communication with it. As you start to trust your inner guide, you'll see that you have a clear path forward that's free from fear, always. 

Step 5: Take a mental inventory.

Look at your experiences and life situations, and take stock of each of them. Which people, places, beliefs, habits, and situations are supporting you and your growth, and which ones are limiting you? Get honest about the situations in your life that are not going as well as you'd hoped. Then ask, "What are my beliefs about this situation?" Recognize which thoughts are limiting you.

Even if you are not aware of all the things blocking you, you can set the intention to release them so you can begin to step into your power. Lesson 281 in A Course in Miracles says, "I can be hurt by nothing but my thoughts." The beliefs you have about yourself and the world are important, as they direct your outcomes. Work on aligning all your beliefs to love so you feel empowered and purpose-driven, no matter how chaotic the things around you may be.

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