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As Chaos and Serenity Clash: 7 Steps to Feeling Peaceful
With today's political conflicts, we need peace of mind.
Posted November 23, 2019
Can meditation, gratitude, or belief in “the good life”—as defined by positive psychology—calm us in a world of political and environmental chaos? To escape briefly is healthy and restful in order to restore within us a certain peace of mind.
A serenity space might be our only respite. In such a space, we might forget the Impeachment Inquiry where a Purple Heart recipient was badgered by a former OSU assistant coach, accused of ignoring sexual abuse. We can almost forget that the United States president has pardoned a war criminal, while a young whistleblower, who mailed journalists a secret report of Russia election hacking, sits in prison. In our special space, we can shield our eyes from the first family cavorting with a Saudi Prince who denies complicity in the death of a Washington Post reporter in his embassy.
There are fires and floods, and yet we have a Congress filled with too many affected by denialism—a rejection of scientific facts that are well-supported. Chaos seems to clash with serenity all too often because we have truth and fact deniers wreaking havoc in our society. Just this month, on November 5th, the U.S. engaged in the formal process of leaving the Paris Agreement on climate change thanks to White House deniers.
On Being in Denial, Mary C. Lamia, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Marin County, California, wrote: "In common usage, the term 'denial' usually refers to someone who fails to recognize the significance or consequences of certain behaviors. It also implies that something believed is untrue."
In the presence of such behavior, how do we find serenity? So important is our need for peace of mind that a multidimensional measurement tool was reported in Conflict and Health, 2014, "Development of a scale to measure individuals’ ratings of peace" by Howard Zucker, et. al.
Peace was defined as “A feeling of calm and/or freedom from struggles within self and others in a non-violent environment where hope outweighs resignation." The researchers also identified concepts or themes associated with the experience of peace.
"Through in-person discussions, a list of core constructs underlying PEACE was defined. These lists were collated and organized into domains. These domains included the following seven constructs: emotional tone/sense of calm, agency or locus of control, hope/optimism; tolerance of others; access to basic necessities, personal safety/absence of violence, and a sense of group or social connectedness."
The researchers concluded that “The PEACE scale may serve as a novel assessment tool in the health sector and be valuable in monitoring and evaluating the peace-building impact of health initiatives in conflict-affected regions.”
How can we sit and quietly meditate when anger so easily builds up inside of us?
Find a special place within your home that is free of distraction. My first serenity space was a closet under the stairs with a tiny window. Space works best with a small table or desk with a journal, but no books or magazines to distract you. Perhaps just a small vase with a flower. If you can look out a window, and see the sky, so much the better. View the time as a gift to yourself:
- Schedule time each day, preferably in the morning.
- Shut off your cell phone and all electronic distractions.
- Buy a gratitude journal and use it often. When you are in space that is free of distractions and clutter, you are better able to focus on gratitude and meditation.
- Practice creative visualization.
- Become aware of serendipity—a chance occurrence that many believe is mere coincidence.
- Appreciate heightened intuition—When you spend time “centering,” you will discover a sense of “knowing, just knowing.” Trust these intuitive leanings.
- Use time management techniques, so that by the end of your day, you are prepared for a restful sleep.
Once you feel as if you have overcome the anger, outrage, and sense of betrayal watching our environment and politics sink dangerously into a pit—do something. Take action. Join a group to advocate for climate change, end homelessness, reform immigration laws, work for fairness in voting, demand an end to big money buying elections, make phone calls, write postcards.
Motivate yourself to look beyond anger—that emotion can be as harmful as denial. When you begin to feel disheartened, think of the Suffragettes. Against all odds, these women fought for and won the right to vote. Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence | Smithsonian Institute, on display until January 5, 2020.
Copyright 2019 Rita Watson
