TGIF, friends! By the time you’re reading this, I’m already well en route to the Big Apple for what’s sure to be an ~insane~ week at New York Fashion Week. “Insane” is pretty much the best word to describe a LOT of life lately – just total chaos + craziness all over the place, across the board. Besides NYFW, there have been/are so many trips, appointments, + meetings on the calendar; our wedding anniversary is this month, we just babymooned in Canada, I’ve got some SUPER FRIGGIN’ EXCITING things happening soon with BossPitch, and there’s the whole I’m-6-months-pregnant thing. I mean…oy.

“Peaceful” is not a word to describe the past few months.

More like hurricane.

In the midst of it all, there have been so many ups, downs, tears, fears – the list goes on. It’s honestly been a sh*tshow behind-the-scenes sometimes, and I’ve wanted nothing more than to be able to just sit down with y’all and the biggest bottle of vino (de-alcoholized for me, of course 😉 ) and just talk. Vent. Cry. Laugh. The works.

All to get back to center.

One of my “problems” is always finding myself somewhere that might not be completely 100% perfectly in alignment with where I think it should be. The problem isn’t that I’m there – the problem lies in the expectation, and the judgment I impose on myself afterwards if/when life happens (as it does).

And then I read this Wayne Dyer quote the other day, probably on Pinterest, and just about spit out my water because HELLO IT IS ME.

“Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.”

I mean, OK hi can someone drop a mic now? Because BOOM.

In case you’ve been on the same boat or anywhere near the same means of transportation as me the past few months/weeks/days, I figured some peace talks were in order. 😉 Here are 15 ways that I have been slash continue to add more *peace* + peace of mind to everyday life. And before hopping right in, shoutout to my friends at Allstate for being such *peaceful* partners (see what I did there? ha!) – their blog is SUCH a good resource for so much and literally has the tagline “Everyday Peace of Mind.” So, bring on the peace! Diving right in…

1. Schedule in “me” time. If it’s not on my calendar, it’s not happening. And my husband, mom, and anyone else who knows me well will be the first to say that I’m the actual worst with me time. I swear I can make anything else happen in life, except me time. Me time, and clean makeup brushes. But working on both. 😉 But I also realized as of late that I’m waaaaaay more introverted than I originally thought, in that my “recentering” happens when I’m flying solo rather than surrounded by people. (I’m an extroverted introvert, or an ambivert, or just a really friggin’ outgoing person who needs alone time – so wahtever that makes me, ha!). So peace comes after solid solitude versus busy bustle.
2. Intentional breath and/or guided meditation as needed. I was never one for anything that felt “woo woo” or forced. And just like I’m the actual worst at me time, I can also be the actual worst at stillness. I swear “Be Still” was written in the Bible just for me, yo. Because I need the COMMAND. Whenever I’m *not* at peace, there’s an approximate 95% probability that I’m basically not breathing correctly. I’ve accidentally sent myself into panic attacks before, which are scary AF since they often involve uncontrollable hyperventilation (no joke – if you know, you know). Sometime stopping + slowing down is just ESSENTIAL to get back to basics – like breathing.
3. Figure out your own peaceful center. Not all peace is created equal! Some folks find peace in the middle of a quiet, deserted beach – others need a noisy, bustling cityscape. Know thyself.
4. Define “relaxation”. And it’s different for everyone! Same as above – know thyself. What constitutes “relaxation” for you might be TOTALLY DIFFERENT than for me, and that’s A-OK. TBH, my own definition changes as life goes on and my needs/lifestyle/etc evolve, and that’s also fine. Ccleaning versus meditation versus a spa trip versus an active run or workout class – figure out what gets you relaxed, and stick with that. Forget society’s standards.
5. Does someone have it worse than me right now? Will this matter in 5 years? Those two Q’s should be with ya, always. Rinse + repeat for ASAP peace in the moment.
6. Brain dump. We know it, we lovelovelove it. Do it often.
7. Set limits. The #1 thing to send me into overdrive is not properly planning – or rather, not properly limiting. I can plan like a champ – I can limit…less than champion-like sometimes. 😉 I’m hella good at filling a schedule, but when it comes to breaking that down to *only* the most important must-do’s of the day, sometimes I fall waaaaaay short. In that I end up with 32 tasks on a to-do that’s got room for, like, 6. Overwhelm is the antithesis of peace – so set some limits from the get go so you don’t get anywhere CLOSER to overwhelm city.
8. Add in time buffers. Being late automatically spikes your stress levels, too. Also…#GuiltyAsCharged. 😉 Biggest tip: Buffer it. Buffer in time between tasks, between appointment times – the whole nine yards. When we rush, we mess up. And when we mess up, we def lose peace of mind. (Also when we rush, we can get reckless – the one time I was in a car accident in life was someone being reckless + mindless behind the wheel! Serious topic obvi, but that’s where Allstate comes in 😉 ).
9. Be prepared overall. Preparedness brings peace. Pointblankperiod. Of course, some things in life are just *impossible* to plan for, much to the dismay of Planning Priscillas like me. 😉 But for as much as we CAN control in life, there’s a whole helluvah lot that we canNOT. With that comes…
10. Prevention + protection. Ties right back into being prepared, folks! I like to do a quick safety run-through in our home every so often to just check up on basics. Recently discovered, for example, that the cord on our vaccuum cleaner is SO SHOT, it’s all twisted, the wires are near-showing, and it’s probably 100% a fire hazard. Ain’t nobody got time – time to upgrade, baby! Also protect yo’ house in general – it’s not just a house, it’s home sweet home! (Suuuuper interesting read here on the difference between home insurance and a home warranty, + a list of FAQs on property insurance if you’ve got Q’s that need A’s!) Thinking ahead is key – beyond physical safety, make sure things like your finances are in order + protected and ready to go for le future! (We talked a LOT about that this summer – make sure you bookmark these short-term budgeting tips + these long-term budgeting tips if you want/need the guidance as ya go!) And beyond personal finances then, if you’re a fellow small business owner (hollah!), you KNOW the struggle that comes with launching your own empire from scratch – it ain’t no joke, yo! (Here are 7 mistakes I made in first launching mine – learn from ’em!)
11. Declutter…Your mind, your space, your closet, your bathrooms, your digital life, your life pointblankperiod. Less is more!
12. Have a phone-free hour everyday. Raise yo’ hand if your phone sucks peace. *all raise hands now*. Whether it’s from that instant ping of anxiety from a full inbox first thing in the morning, or from mindlessly refreshing Facebook *yet again* to see more ranting + raving from Big Mouth Becky from the Block, it’s bound to put your peace on a tailspin. Dedicate one hour every single day (yup, on the daily) to go phone-free. Put it on airplane mode, throw it on the bed in the other room – do whatcha gotta do to get it out of sight + out of mind, truly.
13. Foster your creative outlet. This goes largely for the fellow creatives in da house (ayo!), but if you’re anything like me, you FEEL it if/when creativity is lacking. You feel drained, you feel blah, you feel ho hum about life in general if too much time goes by sans something creative. And it doesn’t even need to be a big something – just something to get those juices flowin’ again. Schedule in time everyday, too, for SOMETHING creative. Write something, sing something, paint something – heck, even take a creative picture with your iPhone and call it #art. Just give yourself that time to breath in some kinda art.
14. Accept and forgive. A total DOOZY in the peace-destroying department, I know. Hence the importance in tackling it head-on every single day! But if you’re holding onto ANYTHING that might be wrecking your peace, pull an Elsa and let that ish GO. Accept the things that cannot change, forgive the past that holds you back, and move past it towards a more peaceful future.
15. Say no. And feel the peace that comes with having more time to say yes to what truly brings you joy.

 

How do you add more peace of mind to your everyday life?

Do any of the above tips slash tricks already work for you? Have you tried any? Do you do something totally different that works like a charm? I WANNA KNOW. Let me know in a comment below, wouldja?

P.S. Be sure you’re following along on the ‘Gram for all sortsa NYFW happenings this week – EEEP! And check back first thing en la manana for some *solid* Weekend Reading. Peace and blessings.

 

*This post was written as part of the Allstate Influencer Program and sponsored by Allstate. As always, all thoughts and opinions presented are entirely my own. As the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, Allstate is dedicated not only to protecting what matters most–but to guiding people to live the Good Life, every day. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Coming Up Roses.