Find Your Zen

Life moves fast. Stress comes at you from all directions: work, family life, keeping up with the house, and so on. Sometimes, you’d give anything to get even a short break for your mind and your body. How can you find moments of peace and Zen? How can you keep your stress levels in check?

It all comes down to your mindset and your mental health. It’s up to you to care for your mind and keep stress levels low, and doing so will involve all aspects of your lifestyle. From finding hobbies you’re passionate about to caring for your overall health, here’s how to find your Zen and bring that feeling with you wherever you go.

Fueling your peace of mind

Some people act like they always feel great. Some of that’s just their attitude — nobody feels great all of the time, of course — but other parts of it might hint at the truth. After all, you can do a lot to feel better most of the time.

We’re talking about both physical and mental health here (and they’re connected, after all). Put the right things in your body, and you’ll feel good: A nutritious diet, the right supplements, and only limited amounts of alcohol and other depressants are just what you need to feel fantastic.

And if you really want to calm down, focus on foods and supplements with proven mental health benefits. Take CBD, for instance: It’s been shown time and time again in studies to help those who are struggling with stress and anxiety. And making CBD a part of your daily routine is a breeze. Just read a trusted review or two and choose among products such as CBD vape oils, CBD edibles, and CBD tinctures.

The right diet of whole foods can make a huge difference, too, experts say. When it comes to mental health, you are what you ingest.

Get a move on

If being healthy helps your mental health (and, as we have established, it does), then it’s only logical that exercising would be good for you. Exercise regularly, and you’ll carry a clearer and happier head into every other area of your life.

On top of that, exercise is great for your short-term mood, too. Exercise releases endorphins, which make you feel great and elevate your mood.

You’ll find your Zen in exercise if you find a healthy hobby that you love. So take dance lessons, take up hiking, or try a new sport. When you get moving, it’s great for both your mind and body.

Meditate

It’s no coincidence that Westerners tend to bandy around terms like “Zen” when we talk about the calm, healthy minds that we want. The Eastern traditions of meditation and mindfulness have long been accomplishing the same goals that we have today. The modern meditation and mindfulness movements are continuing this work, and studies have repeatedly shown that modern meditation practices can have a positive and measurable impact on our happiness and tendency toward calm.

Learning to meditate isn’t tough, but becoming great at it takes practice. But the practice is the point, and you’ll become more mindful even as you work through false starts and mistakes. Regularly taking time to meditate will give you a moment (or two, or three) each day to “find your Zen,” and the positive changes in your mental health will allow you to carry that calm and peace forward into the stressful world out there.

So care for your mind, move your body, and become more focused on your thoughts and your surroundings. When your “happy place” is in your mind, it’s always with you.

To read more on topics like this, check out the lifestyle category.