Tips for Finding Zen

November 02, 2013
Jess

 

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What is Zen?

Zen is one of those things that will mean something slightly different to everyone – finding Zen is as much a personal experience as it is something everyone can benefit from. Zen can be described as “inner peace” and it’s something most of us could do with a little more of in our lives. There are some little tips and tricks you can use in your every day lives to move towards finding your own definition of zen:

1) Focus on what you CAN change
Many of us spend minutes, hours and even days worrying about things we cannot change. It’s normal, totally human and sometimes feels unavoidable. However, you need to sit back and realise that there is very little benefit to worrying about things that you can’t change. There’s the old-age saying of “If you can’t change the situation, change your response” and it most often proves true. There’s no point stressing about things that we, for whatever reason, cannot change. Focus your energy on the things you can change.

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2) Get some Peace and Quiet
Most people have a few things they like to do to have some alone time. It might be going for a long run to clear your head, it might be sitting down and reading a magazine or it might even be playing some games online. Whatever helps you relax and unwind is perfect for helping you get closer to your own zen. Remember it’s important to keep everything in moderation, though!

3) Only associate with Positive People
There are some people in our lives that are wonderful, positive beings who contribute a lot of good. There are, unfortunately, quite often negative people who bring us down. Isolate why you associate with those negative people and decide if you still want to. You might be hanging out with those people out of habit, rather than because you actually want to spend time with them. Life is too short to spend time with people who don’t bring some good to your life. They say you are a combination of the five people you see most often, so make sure you’re surrounding yourself with great people.

4) Learn to let go
We all hold onto feelings that don’t contribute positively to our lives and that’s why it’s really important to learn to let go. Holding onto anger is like holding onto a hot coal, usually only you get burned – not the person you’re angry with. When we feel really hurt, upset or frustrated it can be really hard realising there’s no benefit to holding onto those emotions, especially because they often act as distractions, but when you learn the art of letting go, you’ll find your life will become a lot more peaceful!

Finding Zen is an ongoing path, but it’s one of the most rewarding journeys you can embark on.