Finding Calm in A Chaotic World

“Calmness is the cradle of power.” — Josiah Gilbert Holland

How can we all find calm when the world feels so chaotic?

I get asked this question a lot in my work as a Life and Executive Coach, and I have answers. Not one answer, but many different strategies and tools to help recenter ourselves when we feel the pull of the energy of everything around us.

It’s impossible not to feel the weight of everything happening around us in today’s world. We are constantly exposed to news and information, and it can be a perpetual pit of negative energy.

Our bodies are beautifully designed and programmed to help us survive in true moments of crisis. When danger shows up, our fight-or-flight physiological response kicks in to protect us. This is an amazing and necessary human trait.

The challenge is that, in today’s world, we’re alerted by “crises” all the time—whether it’s something personal or something happening halfway across the globe. Our bodies can’t always tell the difference, so we end up living in a constant state of emergency. Over time, this takes a toll on our minds, bodies, and spirits.

Until we become more aware of it, we cannot change the deleterious effect it may have on our well-being.

I wanted to share a few simple practices that can make a big difference in creating calm in a chaotic world.

These strategies require practice, as our stress response is programmed to protect us from danger.

1. Discern the danger – Ask yourself: “Is this a true emergency?” If YES, let your body do its job—and then find ways to decompress afterward. If NO, remind yourself that you’re safe and take some of the following steps to gently calm your nervous system.
   

2. Practice grounding – Pause: Allow yourself to breathe to reconnect with the reality of the situation. The more you know your emotional triggers, and are aware of the signs that you are going down a rabbit hole of stress, the quicker you will be able to check in with yourself to practice the strategies to create more calm.

   
   

3. Control the controllables – Ask yourself: “What control do I have of this situation?” What can I do to improve the situation? While we may not have control over everything or anyone in our world, we can choose how we respond to the effect it is having on us. When we acknowledge and accept this, we begin to see potential solutions to improving our own state of mind.

   
   

4. Create safe spaces: Find places, practices, and people where you can truly “feel all of the feels.” If we don’t get the chaotic thoughts out of our heads, they become noisier and more complicated to deal with. Find a closet, a room, or go outside in nature to step away and gain focus.

   
   

5. Let the feelings go-Ask yourself: “How can I release these intense feelings I am experiencing?” Whether it is being alone with a journal, talking with a friend or family member, or having a consistent professional coach or therapist, emotions and feelings need to be processed at some point to allow them to be understood and released, While we cannot control our emotional response to the stress, we can change our perspectives on them.

“A calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health.” — Dalai Lama

Undoubtedly, there will be chaotic moments ahead, and there will also be moments of calm. Creating lightness in the dark, heavy, overwhelm is key to creating inner strength and long-term health.

The question is: “How will you find the calm in the next chaotic moment?”

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