Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
Often in my life, I have heard people saying “Calm mind is a relaxed mind, a decisive mind!”. But is it even practically possible to be calm in every situation? Let’s find out together. In general, calmness correlates to stability and well-being in life. In today’s hustle and bustle of our fast-paced existence, the ability to be calm is indeed a key. Anyone who masters this quality, gets not just material success but enjoys intrinsic peace within and lives a genuinely happy life.
IMPORTANCE OF CALMNESS UNDER PRESSURE
Calmness has its perks, but it is of utmost importance in tough times. It aids our mind to see things more clearly and gives us the ability to be poised to make better choices. You may have observed, when faced with a pressure situation, people often tend to panic and make erratic decisions that puts them down in front of others. However, if you somehow bring out your inner calmness during those hard times, you are more likely to be the one who is not just part of real solutions, but even seen as a reliable and trustworthy person in a similar future event.
HOW TO BE CALM IN EVERY SITUATION?
Ability to be calm in every situation is easier than you think. With just a little change in mindset and perception, calmness of mind can be achieved especially during challenging periods. So next time you feel panic due to a problem, here are some practical tips that you can use that have worked so well for me –
1. Take a PAUSE
The moment you take a pause, you give your mind a chance to reflect on the problem at hand rather than reacting to it with impulse. Pausing for just few seconds gives our mind the ability to process challenges in a collected way.
2. Breathe
Infuse a few deep breaths when you are reflecting on the issue. According to studies, breathing has an instant calming effect on your brain thus helping us with better judgement of the situation.
3. See things Objectively
When you start observing situations objectively, by keeping emotions and personal opinions distant from it, your mind starts welcoming better, more relevant options and creative ideas to solve the problems.
4. Learn to go with the flow
Not everything can be controlled, Accept it! Just go with the natural flow of life. Learning to go with the flow doesn’t mean running away from a situation or giving up, it simply means focus on options that you can control and act on it.
5. Eat healthy and Exercise
Now this may sound boring to some, but healthy eating and exercise boost our overall well-being so should be given importance. Studies show that healthy eating and regular exercising has both immediate and long-term benefits to our health thereby increasing serenity of mind more as a permanent effect.
6. Share your feelings
Sharing your feelings benefits in reducing stress and gives a better understanding of who you are. This coping method reduces chances of your body going in constant “fight or flight” mode thereby giving calming effects to your mind.
7. Practice Gratitude
In clouds of negativity during tough times, it’s easy to ignore the positives in life. Consciously practicing gratitude allows you to recognise the good things happening around you and may even help you see the bright side. This simple yet powerful practice can bring wonderful changes to our thought process. There are different ways to do it. I personally prefer keeping a journal and writing things “I am thankful for” before hitting the bed, which helps with calming my mind and improves my sleep quality.
CONCLUSION
Always remember, human’s natural survival instinct to difficult situations, is panic and anxiety that doesn’t mean these are bad things, it simply means your body is in “flight or fight” mode and more alert to face any challenges. We should just avoid making this mode as more of a permanent behaviour, to keep our minds calm. Next time when you are struggling with a panic situation, you can use these coping methods to attain peace of mind.
References
By Barbara Strasser, Dietmar Fuchs – Role of physical activity and diet on mood, behavior, and cognition – ScienceDirect, published in September 2015
By Emma Seppälä, Christina Bradley, and Michael R. Goldstein, Research: Why Breathing Is So Effective at Reducing Stress (hbr.org), published on September 29, 2020