Calm

Most of us have experienced a state of calm at one time or another in our life. Some of these were sustained over time, some fleeting. All of them, I tend to remember fondly. 

What is calm? 

I noticed that I experience calm states of mind by chance: when in nature, being alone with my thoughts, walking, having a few things figured out, listening to a cat purr and several such moments. These serve me as good reference points for what I consider calm states. They also help me pose the question – well, how can I structure my days so I can experience more of that? 

I believe that calm states are objectively superior states of being. From my experience of previous calm, I can say that I would prefer a state of calm to its alternatives. I am able to think clearly and understand the influence of my environment on me, and maybe tweak the way I react to it. I experience less stress, agitation or anxiety in calm states. I get my best ideas during calm states. I’m able to be a better person to the people around me when I’m calm. I’m able to find what I like when I’m calm. This list goes on. As of this moment, I can’t think of a better practical state to be in for most of my day. I have a feeling you will agree with me and share this mindset. With a bit of craft, experiencing more calm in your day is entirely within reach. I found that this line of thinking can set us up for clarity, peace and a better experience of our day to day. 

A good step towards more calm is this moment. If you take a minute to listen to your thoughts, your top three trains of thought can give you a sense for what’s occupying your thinking space at this time. If you have a few more minutes, you can choose to set them aside for now and see if you can be without these thoughts. Maybe you aren’t able to at this time, but know that it’s possible with practice.

You can try more elaborate experiments, and most are within your reach if you set out with the goal of experiencing calm. If you are able to learn that calm states are superior, you are well on your way towards experiencing peace. On this path, a few questions can come in handy to measure and course correct. When have you experienced calm in the recent past? What usually calms you? How much calm do you experience in a day? What portion of your day are you able to stay in calm states? What would be a good goal for you for the next year or so for daily calm? What would be a good goal for you ten years from now? 

If this all seems too complex and too much to think about, you can stay with taking this a moment at a time. Because time is full of individual moments. The future seems infinite! Start with tomorrow and go from there.

I wish you well in this process, I hope you experience more calm.