The world—and your mind—can be a very noisy place sometimes. Between trying to remember to do laundry, concern for a loved one, wondering what the future will bring… sometimes it can seem like there are too many causes of distress and not enough ways to handle them.
Fortunately, we did some digging into how to keep your mind calm and peaceful. We are very excited to share our discoveries with you.
What Is Mental Strain?
To start, let’s break down exactly what mental strain is and what causes it. Learning how to find peace of mind begins with learning what’s keeping you from feeling calm in the first place.
Mental strain, also known as psychological strain, is our brain’s reaction to internal and external stimulation, usually negative in nature. Whether you’re ruminating over a disagreement with your boss, struggling to calm nervous energy, fretting about your to-do list, or anything else, there can be dozens of potential causes of distress.
Any stimulus that causes you to feel anxious, worried, scared, etc. is mental strain. This type of psychological stress can lead to restlessness, emotional issues, and digestive concerns.
When left unmanaged, chronic strain can result in an increased risk for poor health. Learning how to find peace of mind is a whole lot easier when you know what is causing your strain.
What Causes It?
Want to know how to keep your mind calm and peaceful? You need to figure out what’s at the root of your mental strain.
One of the best ways to do this is to write it down. Take 10 minutes in a quiet room with a pen and paper and ask yourself some questions:
- What am I worried about right now?
- When I can’t sleep, where does my mind go?
- How is my career/relationship going?
- How am I feeling about my friendships/family relationships?
- What’s worrying me about the world at large right now?
Questions like these are key to learning how to find peace of mind. Get really introspective with yourself and identify your personal causes of distress. Write it all down — nothing is too big or small if it’s worrying you.
What Are the Signs of Mental Strain?
If you are having trouble identifying specific parts of your life that are troubling you, start with identifying signs of mental strain such as:
- Rapid heart rate or elevated blood pressure
- Fatigue and difficulty sleeping
- Poor problem-solving
- Excessive fear that your strain won’t ever go away
- Persistent thoughts about what’s troubling you
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Changes in behavior including avoiding social situations, self-medicating with alcohol, or excessive sleeping
If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s definitely time to learn how to find peace of mind.
How Can I Keep My Mind Calm and Peaceful?
There are several tried-and-true methods to calm your mind. We’ll start with some healthy habits.
Have a Regular Exercise Routine
Having a regular exercise routine is especially important if one of your causes of distress is worry over your health. Having a regular exercise routine has practically endless benefits, but the ones related to a calm mind include:
- Increasing your physical tiredness levels so you fall asleep more easily
- Releasing endorphins (the “feel-good” chemicals in your brain)
- Reducing your risk for chronic health conditions
Regular exercise is one of the easiest ways to help with how to find peace of mind. Even if you just add a single 10-minute walk to your day, you can start to notice these benefits.
Follow a Healthful Nutrition Plan
This one comes with a certain amount of privilege (not everyone has access to healthful foods either via their location or because of how much these foods can cost) but eating as healthfully as you can nourish your body and your mind.
Prioritize filling half your plate with fresh fruits and vegetables at each meal. Also make sure you’re getting enough lean protein from sources like chicken, turkey, fatty fish, tofu, edamame, tempeh, and other vegetarian meats. Swap any refined carbohydrates (white rice, potatoes, etc.) for complex ones like whole grain bread, brown rice, quinoa, etc.
How to find peace of mind starts with a nourished body. Even if none of your causes of distress is concern over your health, feeling healthy trickles down to every part of your life. You will find you have more energy, less brain fog, and are in general more excited to tackle whatever life throws at you if you are sticking to a healthful and nutritious diet.
Ensure Restful Sleep
We’ve covered some of the basic lifestyle adjustments that might be how to keep your mind calm and peaceful. One more key to a calm mind is ensuring you get enough restful sleep.
Although many people struggle with an overactive mind at night, it is possible to combat those bad sleep habits and build new, better ones. These are some ways to ensure you get restful sleep:
- Have a consistent bedtime and sleep routine. It is recommended to stop all screen activity at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Instead of scrolling, try doing some gentle yoga or stretching, taking a warm bath, meditating, or reading a book to help you learn how to find peace of mind.
- Keep a physical pen and paper beside your bed. When those “oh, wait!” or “I have to remember that tomorrow!” thoughts strike as you’re trying to fall asleep, you can write them down instead of ruminating over them. These tasks can usually wait until the morning and are likely not worth losing sleep over.
- If you absolutely cannot fall asleep, don’t just lay in bed tossing and turning. (This actually trains your brain to not sleep when in bed.) Get up, move to another room, and do a quiet (non-screen!) activity until you feel sleepy again. This can be journaling, meditation, or any other low-stress activity.
If none of these strategies help and you still can’t seem to learn how to find peace of mind, it might be time for supplementation to help you sleep. Always talk to your doctor before beginning any new supplements.
Will Supplements Answer How to Keep My Mind Calm and Peaceful?
Some causes of distress are just too extreme. Even after adjusting your diet, exercise, and sleep routines you may still suffer mental strain. Once you get the okay from your physician, you can start to explore the world of supplementation.
At Green Gorilla™, we offer many different kinds of CBD-based products to not only help you sleep but to help you learn how to find peace of mind. Although supplements are not guaranteed to help you sleep better at night, they have been shown to help calm the busy mind and deal with modern life worries and stressors.
Explore our collections for restoration, recovery, immunity, and more. We’re proud to offer USDA Certified Organic products.
Have questions about which product might be right for you? Get in touch!