10 Tips On How To Stay Calm And Carry On During Trying Times

Here’s your daily reminder that no one has it all! I like to talk about my experiences, what has personally worked out for me, friends or stories I’ve witnessed or been told. It isn’t easy to find how to stay calm and carry on in difficult situations. it is something that has to be practised especially in time of chaos. I learnt a lot of things the hard way and by that I mean I made mistakes but guess what, I’m glad I made those mistakes because I know better now.

What does it really mean to learn how to stay calm and carry on in life?

Have you been in situations when you could proudly applaud yourself for being calm when ordinarily you should flip out? Did you regret it or wished you said your piece? The most important I have to say about how to stay calm and find joy in life is to ensure you think not only about the present but also the future. Whatever is robbing you of your peace, joy, stressing you out or making you sad, give it time and ask yourself if it’s worth it after all.

These are some few things I’ve learnt to practice during tough times in order to stay calm and carry on with finding joy in life.

Breathe

Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one
you know you have for sure.

Oprah Winfrey

As “easy” and freely given, most people don’t find time to breathe or take deep breaths. In all the chaos find time to breathe. These little things matter. Sometimes you might be overwhelmed, things might not just be working. Sometimes you can’t even voice out what you are going through because you can’t put it into words. Only your pillow, your journal or diary understand.

In moments like that, how to stay calm is to simply breathe. I’ve found this quite helpful. Take deep and long breathes. I learnt from movies the great effect of breathing exercises in times of panic. It helps greatly with tension, panic attacks and heart palpitations.

Did you breathe after reading this? I just did. It takes practice and it’s guaranteed to make you feel calm afterwards. Inhale the future, exhale the past.

Love Yourself

We must fall in love with ourselves. I don’t like myself, I’m crazy about
myself.

Mae West

I like to think of myself as complicated but still perfect. What better way to learn how to stay calm and find joy if not with yourself? Loving yourself is like arming oneself. Nothing and no one can penetrate. You know yourself better than anyone, you know your flaws, mistakes and best attributes.

“The moment you know yourself, you have known the most precious thing in existence”.

OSHO

Love yourself, find what gives you happiness, create a safe haven within you that you can quickly harness in times you need to stay calm and carry on. You can start by practising affirmations for self-love.

Sometimes, how to stay calm is by pausing to ask if the issue is worth your time & emotional investment.

Start by learning the 5 by 5 rule – if it’s not going to matter in 5 years time, don’t spend 5 minutes being upset about it.

I get upset easily. It’s a flaw and I’m seriously working on it. The funny thing is that, the anger doesn’t last. I once had an issue with a close friend some years back and I was so pissed and angry that we didn’t speak for days. When I was asked by my girlfriend what the issue was, truthfully, I couldn’t remember. I only remembered being extremely angry. I was still angry but not as angry as I was on the day of the occurrence.

I took my phone and called to apologize. I told myself it was foolish to be angry when I couldn’t even remember the cause. I embraced the 5 by 5 rule ever since.

To learn how to stay calm and find joy in life, there are moments when we need to stop, take a breather, take a minute or two and analyze the situations we find ourselves in.
It’s always easy to go with the first thought that comes to mind, but it’s not always advisable. Stop, breathe, analyze, then act.

Sometimes, it’s okay to be SELFISH

Oh yeah! This is quite important too. Protect yourself and your sanity. Be selfish with everything about you. Learn to say no. That is all the peace and calm you need.

Never displease yourself to please another. We are not getting out of this world alive anyway, why take more than you can handle? Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to be good, help people. There’s joy and satisfaction that comes with that but you need to take care of yourself.

Whatever happens, the world keeps moving. Have your rest, treat yourself to the fine things of life, surround yourself with good people, live your life how you want it.

Let go

Be the bigger person…I’m sure you must have heard of this. Yeah, if you want some peace, calm and joy in life, you have to learn to let go.

Random Activities is one way to learn how to stay calm & find joy in life.

Take a walk, worship, drink water, breathe, daydream, read, cook, sleep, exercise, do a puzzle, count backwards etc.
I remember back in my school days when I would be so overwhelmed with stress and everything going on and I would cry. I got relief in crying so whenever I had the opportunity, I cried about everything all at once. Lol. I still do it now. But I can’t always wait for something to happen before I let all the accumulated tears flow. So I switched my routine. I love music and movies. I love to dance and sleep. Eat and then sleep some more.

A day to school exams, you’ll find baby girl having a good 2-3 siesta. Oh, how I loved to see a movie beforehand. Nothing calms me more. It took all the stress away. I mentally travelled with the movie. Music could be
emotional sometimes but I listened to the ones that made me dance and sweat.

Don’t get me wrong, I attended all my classes and did all the necessary but schooling can still stressful. This was my own way of finding some sanity in all the chaos. I did random things and it worked and still does.

If I’m angry, sometimes to stay calm and carry on, I take my bathe, eat, take a nap, listen to music or see a movie.

Most times, to learn how to stay calm, do the most random things. E.g, Instead of laying in bed sulking up, get up, go out with friends, call bae, laugh, go on a date, do something odd, take wild adventurous risks like zip-lining or any other adrenaline-pumping activity.

Do something odd, something out of your comfort zone, indulge in something you wouldn’t ordinarily do. It’ll take your mind off things and who know, you might make a habit of it.
Life is too short and uncertain not to be happy. Find out what works for you to keep you calm and happy.

Own your sh**

Tell the truth, be open to learning. Know when you have failed and get back up. Learn from your mistakes. It’s not the end of the world when you realize a particular path isn’t working out. Go back to the drawing board, restrategize and bounce back. You can’t keep at a routine and expect a different result. When it’s not working, tell yourself the truth. It might seem tough starting all over but you’ll have more experience this time.
Never short change yourself. Remember that change is the only constant thing. Embrace “new beginnings” they help you stay calm and carry on in the face of adversity.

Meditating is one major tip on how to stay calm during trying times.

Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom.

JAMES ALLEN

Once you can master the art of meditation, you’d understand the beauty of calmness better. I once had a conversation about meditation with a friend. I’m a catholic and we have the practice called confession. It’s when you confess your sins in the presence of a priest. It is our belief that we are absolved of those sins afterwards. Growing up, I could tell my close friends of my “sins” but I remember how my heart would beat very fast and how nervous I always am when I’m to go for confession. Why? It was more or less of gist with friends but really embarrassing in front of a priest.

Back to mediation – well this friend said, “the freeing” feeling you get while walking away from the priest after baring yourself is what meditation feels like. You have that power to do so yourself. I couldn’t wait to experience it and when I did, I found meditation to be truly liberating.
Mediation is calming and nerve soothing. There are so many ways you can meditate, just find one that suits you.

Create a Happy Place

One tip on how to stay calm that has worked for me over the years is dwelling in my sanctuary, aka, my happy place. A happy place is where you give no space to negatives. There’s no anger or hurt, just joy and happiness. Enjoy spending time by yourself, being alone doesn’t have to make you feel lonely. Daydreaming is always a safe haven. The smell of coffee is a happy place for me (insert grinning Emoji). Anything that works for you, just do it.

Learn to be calm and you will always be happy.

Paramahansa Yogananda.

If you can’t find joy in life yourself, no one can give it to you.

Be Grateful

When I find myself getting anxious about my growth so far, one tip I implore to stay calm is by practising gratitude.

Most times, we think about what we want rather than what we have. Whenever you think things aren’t going right, think about where you are and how far you’ve come. The obstacles you’ve surmounted, the many times you didn’t give up. And be grateful. Be proud of yourself, give yourself the appropriate amount of push needed. Knowing what you’ve achieved, you can always achieve more. You’ll find calm in that and joy in knowing that the future holds even better promises.

Got any tips on How to stay calm and find the little joys? Share with us, we’ll like to know. Also, feel free to share this post with your friends. Let’s all learn and grow together.