Dictionary.com defines serenity as the state of being calm, peaceful, or tranquil. In these tumultuous and uncertain times, serenity seems like the furthest thing from reality. Serenity isn’t an emotion that we feel based on our circumstances.
Rather, serenity is a state of being we must be intentional about pursuing and creating for ourselves no matter what our circumstances might be. Finding serenity might seem like an insignificant quest, but there are several science backed reasons why finding serenity should be a top priority. Improved Mental Health A meta-analysis of six random controlled clinical trials was analyzed to see if mindfulness combined with cognitive-behavioral methods such as positive thinking were effective at blocking depression. The findings of this meta-analysis revealed that in up to 44% of patients experiencing depression those techniques reduced the relapse of depression, mirroring the impacts of antidepressants (Piet & Hougaard, 2011). A separate meta-analysis of 47 clinical trials found that meditation was able to decrease psychological stress, which could include anxiety, depression, and even pain (Goyal, et. al. 2014). Stronger Immune System Systematic reviews of various controlled trials showed that mindfulness and the pursuit of serenity has a significant positive impact on the immune system. The review noted the following positive immunological benefits related to the pursuit of serenity: lower levels of inflammatory markers, increased numbers of the immune systems CD4 “helper cells,” and preservation of telomeres, among several others (Black & Slavich, 2016). Enhanced Memory & Focus Psychological scientist Michael Mrazek of the University of California and colleagues examined the impact mindfulness and the pursuit of serenity could have on memory and focus. The study involved 48 students who were randomly assigned either a mindfulness class or a nutrition class. After a period of four weeks, students were given assessments that tested their memory and focus The test results showed that those in the mindfulness class got better test scores in completely unrelated topics and improved their memory retention. It appeared that those students who practiced mindfulness for 45 minutes, four times per week, for a period of four weeks were far more focused than their peers who participated in the nutrition class based on the scores. Mrazek specifically noted, “We found reduced mind-wandering in every way we measured it and improved performance on both reading comprehension and working memory capacity” (Association for Psychological Science, n.d.). Increased Intelligence Science shows that the pursuit of serenity has the potential to literally grow the brain. A study conducted at Harvard University found that individuals who practiced mindfulness meditation as a means of pursuing peace increased the thickness of their prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for decision making, emotional regulation, planning, and regulation of social behavior. The study showed that just eight weeks of practice of mindfulness meditation showed an increase in gray matter in MRI scans (Lazar et. al., 2005). This seemed to show that seeking peace helped participants gain greater mental and emotional intelligence and a stronger, healthier brain overall. Other research supports the idea that a brain that pursues peace is one that remains sharp and intact even as we age. A 2015 study published in the journal Mindfulness showed that as little as 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation a day resulted in a significant slowing of age-related cognitive decline. The study went on to show that the practice of mindfulness meditation helped to grow areas of the brain that tend to decline in effectiveness with age (Malinowski, Moore, Mead, & Gruber, 2015). More Happiness The pursuit of serenity has also been shown to lead to an increase in happiness. A study conducted challenged participants to focus on three things each day they were grateful for over an extended period of time. The study found that participants who did so reported greater happiness and overall satisfaction in their lives (Villarica, 2012). Essentially, the practice of daily gratitude fostered a sense of daily peace and serenity that led to general feelings of satisfaction with life and self. The pursuit of serenity is one that will yield favorable results for all who choose to embark on that journey. The physical, mental, and emotional health implications of pursuing serenity suggest that if we make finding and maintaining peace a priority in our lives, we will experience enhanced joy, increased intellect, increased memory, and improved health. Thus, we should aim to find ways such as mindfulness meditation to implement peace seeking practices in our lives on a regular basis so that we can remain in a state of serenity, and thus remain in a state of balance. References: Association for Psychological Science. (n.d.). Brief Mindfulness Training May Boost Test Scores, Working Memory. Retrieved from https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/brief-mindfulness-training-may-boost-test-scores-working-memory.html Black, D. S., & Slavich, G. M. (2016). Mindfulness meditation and the immune system: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1373(1), 13-24. doi:10.1111/nyas.12998 Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E., Gould, N., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., … Cramer, H. (2014). Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Deutsche Zeitschrift für Akupunktur, 57(3), 26-27. doi:10.1016/j.dza.2014.07.007 Lazar, S. W., Kerr, C. E., Wasserman, R. H., Gray, J. R., Greve, D. N., Treadway, M. T., … Fischl, B. (2005). Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness. NeuroReport, 16(17), 1893-1897. doi:10.1097/01.wnr.0000186598.66243.19 Malinowski, P., Moore, A. W., Mead, B. R., & Gruber, T. (2015). Mindful Aging: The Effects of Regular Brief Mindfulness Practice on Electrophysiological Markers of Cognitive and Affective Processing in Older Adults. Mindfulness, 8(1), 78-94. doi:10.1007/s12671-015-0482-8 Piet, J., & Hougaard, E. (2011). The effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for prevention of relapse in recurrent major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(6), 1032-1040. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2011.05.002 Villarica, H. (2012, April 23). How the Power of Positive Thinking Won Scientific Credibility. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/04/how-the-power-of-positive-thinking-won-scientific-credibility/256223/
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Would you like to achieve inner peace? Are you exhausted by the guilt, pain, and resentment you have carried through life? Are you tired of responding impulsively, negatively or overreacting? If everyone was being honest, they would admit that negative moods influence them sometimes.
It doesn't matter how sincere you are, these old habits die hard. They aren't harmless bad habits; they are stealing your joy. It all throws us off-center and ultimately, it makes you unable to effectively cope with life. You cannot find inner peace and tranquility when you don't feel great. That means you need to look after every aspect of yourself, spirituality, physically, emotionally, mentally, and intellectually. Look after yourself and your body will respond in kind. 1. Meditate The power of meditation cannot be underestimated. While experts may spend hours in meditation, you don't have to. Create a daily schedule that dedicates 10 to 15 minutes to meditation. Meditation is all about clearing your mind and learning to be present. As you meditate, your focus should solely be on your breath. When you focus on your breath, it allows you to push everything else out of your mind. With every inhale/exhale, push negativity from your mind and embrace the inner peace and tranquility. Meditation is a great solution when you're feeling stressed out. It's something that you can do anywhere and everywhere, but make sure you dedicate that time to meditate quietly at home. Anything else you do is a bonus! 2. Mindfulness Mindfulness is not the same as meditation, though it's possible to practice mindful meditation. When you're mindful, you're fully present. You become completely aware of your sense of smell, touch, taste, hearing, and sight. You can practice mindfulness when you eat, when you listen to music, when you take a hike. It's simply about engaging all of your senses to push everything else out of your mind. There is less time to worry when you're focusing on the reality, you're living in instead of thinking about what-ifs. 3. Deep Breathing Deep breathing is an activity that promotes inner peace and tranquility, similarly to meditation and mindfulness. There are a wide variety of deep breathing exercises that you can use. However, there is one I prefer when it comes to promoting inner peace and tranquility. I imagine my breath as colors. I assign a color to positivity and one to negativity. As I inhale, I see myself drawing in white air, it's all positivity. When I exhale, I imagine a rush of black air being expelled from my lungs, it's all negativity. I inhale positivity and I exhale negativity. This simply adds an extra layer of stress relief to the deep breathing practice. The purpose of deep breathing to promote inner peace is that your mind is drawn to the process of breathing and it's life-enhancing properties. Take a deep breath in through your nose, focus on your diaphragm and lungs as you do and hold it for a few beats before you expel it from your mouth. Repeat this five times. 4. Be True To Yourself How can being true to yourself be an activity? When you are in harmony with yourself you will behave how you think and feel. The problem comes in when you see yourself as one thing but are perceived as something else. You can use a notebook to keep track of incongruence. This is something you can correct if you develop self-awareness and try to act in line with your values. 5. Gratitude If you want to promote inner peace and tranquility, then you need to focus on all of the positivity in your life. A gratitude journal is an excellent way to remind yourself of everything you love in life. Once you start writing out what you're grateful for, you will find it easier to see more positives. It's all about training yourself to be more aware of the positive things in life. |
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