In the hustle and bustle of modern life, finding inner peace can seem like an elusive goal. But what if the path to tranquility and mindfulness was not through grand gestures, but through small, everyday habits? This article explores eight such habits that, when practiced consistently, can significantly enhance your sense of calm and well-being, making you more Zen than 98% of people. These habits are simple, accessible, and can be seamlessly integrated into your daily routine. They draw on principles from mindfulness, meditation, and positive psychology, offering a holistic approach to cultivating Zen. So, whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or a curious beginner, this guide is designed to help you navigate your journey toward a more Zen lifestyle. Let’s embark on this journey of self-discovery and transformation together.
1. Move daily
At least a daily 20-minute walk or the exercise equivalent. There must be movement. Like caged animals, humans do not fare well when we are sedentary for too long.
This includes self-imposed immobility that comes from rarely leaving the comforts of one’s living room.
2. Conscientiously slow down your movements
When we slow down our movements and even how we talk physically, which we are all capable of doing, it’s like moving down a gear or two to match the speed of the present moment. Agitated people are often a gear or two too fast. As such, life comes at them very quickly and they have to do more to process everything.
3. Don’t stray too far from nature
John Muir, the naturalist, once said:
“I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was going in.” He was hinting at the power of nature to remind us to be conscious and to remember that we are one with it.
Sometimes a walk in a forest is all it takes to get us out of our heads and into our bodies again. Calm people continually nurture their bond with nature.
4. Don’t take things personally
Calm people — whether they are aware of it consciously or not — regard their sense of ‘self’ loosely. Insecure — and therefore often very wound-up — people have a vivid sense of who they ‘think’ they are.
They believe they need to defend the idea of who they are and are easily triggered by criticism or anything that looks like an attack (which it rarely is).
Calm people see things for what they are and don’t make everything about them.
5. Use practical spirituality
A lot of people associate ‘spirituality’ with a kind of blind idealism used by unrealistic, woo-woo hippy types, who enjoy dressing in loose clothing. Calm people have a sense of the forces existing beyond the material world.
They know, for example, that when we are calm, creative insights come to our aid, guiding us along through life. They are intentional about being open to this supply of energy and wisdom that stressed people are not.
6. Align with their physical needs
Not everyone responds the same way to external stimuli and certain food types, for example. Being a highly sensitive person (HSP), I can find stimulation overwhelming in high doses.
Through my understanding of how I respond to things like caffeine, sugar, and noisy environments, I’ve developed an awareness of what works for me. I know I drink too much caffeine for example. It can make me more anxious than needed, but it’s a choice I’ve made. This will vary for all, so there is only so much ‘expert’ advice one can give another on this.
You know your body and how you feel.
7. Have an internal locus of control
Calm people understand that thoughts, not circumstances, are the source of any stress or tension felt. When we can see the mind for what it is and what it does, we can be free.
How? Because if we know our emotions are internally generated from thoughts, we are aware of our power to navigate life with a sense of ease — regardless of the circumstances.
They are the creators, not the victims.
8. Choose zen
Living life calmly isn’t always possible. Sometimes we need to be assertive and alert to rapidly changing situations. But for the most part, being calm isn’t a passive act. It is intentional.
Calm people regularly commit and re-commit to a calm life. They rearrange their environments to maximize calm. They exert boundaries in their relationships to minimize stress. And They choose to act with a grace that sets in motion a positive feedback loop of wellness.