Mental Health: Increase Your Joy & Serenity Today

There’s a reason Buddhist monks seem so peaceful all the time; they follow certain rules of living most of us don’t, and I’m not talking religion here. Their philosophy for living may seem alien to us and nearly impossible to follow, but the truth is these “rules” lead to serenity and therefore greater happiness. These Buddhist rules can benefit you for the rest of your life, so why not try to incorporate a few today?

#1 Simplify:

See through the vain attempts of materialistic attainment and develop a selfless attitude. This flies in the face of our current society, but it is in this way we focus less on personal problems. We become less emotional about small things and become calmer. Being more selfless towards others brings a deep satisfaction as it builds community and feeds the internal longing we have to be generous.

#2 Meditate:

Scientifically speaking, we know that meditating changes the brain. Not only that, but it changes our whole nature. You likely do not have hours a day to meditate, but even 30 minutes a day may dramatically improve your life. And don’t mistakenly think that meditation means going to another dimension in space – simply close your eyes in a comfortable position and as you breathe deeply through your nose, allow every thought that enters your head to simply pass you by.

#3 Follow the Wise:

Spend time with and listen to senior citizens and those with more experience. This is the path of the wise. If you look around, you will see there are always insightful people to learn from. Older people with more experience can offer countless life lessons and will likely enrich your life in other ways as well.

#4 Embrace Mindfulness as a Way of Life

Examining our actions before we do them and the words we say before we say them…choosing to allow the question “is this integrous and does it serve others?” is not inborn in us. If we allow such mindfulness to guide us rather than acting and reacting in the same ways we always have, our lives with invariably become more peaceful and joyful.   

#5 Embrace Change

We are very attached to our bodies and personalities. When they change with disease, age, or accidents, we suffer. When we learn to embrace the universal law of the universe – that everything changes – we can live without expectations and peace flows abundantly.

#6 Live in the Moment

Research studies show that a great majority of our thinking time is spent re-living our past or thinking about our future. Re-hashing old conversations and scenarios over and over again or worrying about the future is not reality and does not serve us. Life doesn’t happen in your mind. It happens in the moment of now. Fully embrace this moment and see what beautiful things manifest (come to pass).

I found that writing little post-it notes and placing them around my home helped me to make some of these new pathways a habit. Try it out and see what happens; I’m wishing you peace, joy and serenity, everyone!