All of us are trying to find our way in 2020, it has caused us to rethink the way we think, move and breath. I want to share some of the things I do to find some peace in an unsettled world.

I will put these in no particular order because it depends on the day as to how I find calm.

1. Focus on what you can control. Control is an illusion, but what we can do is understand what really is in our span of influence. We can learn to control our breathing, what we read and listen to, who we interact with and what messages we let into our minds. Limit news, social media and types of music. I start each morning with a positive affirmation and prayer. I listen to old school music because it puts me in a happier frame of mind.
2. Find what does and doesn’t work for you. We have had more alone time in the past 7 months than we have ever had or wanted. However, we can use this time to find out what works for each of us. We are not influenced by friends, peers, co-workers or family. We can find who we are and what books we like, what really makes us smile, what veggies we dislike and just how many licks it takes to get to the Tootsie roll center of a Tootsie Pop.
3. Find the Facts. Facts and truths calm the mind. They do this by giving us a starting place for our actions. They allow us to know that whatever we are doing starts with a solid foundation.
4. Find your healthy. What works for your mental, emotional and physical health probably won’t work the same for me. Do you need veggies more than protein, a 5-mile walk to shake off worry, or a phone call to a friend or family to get past the loneliness? Get to know your body.
5. Find rest/sleep. This is the hard one for me. I have a set of things that I do that allow be to sleep. Your routine is what you need to find to slow the mind and body down enough to sleep. Sleep allows us to dream, recuperate and heal from our day. Warm milk, dark room or soft raindrops, find what gets you there and keeps you there.

These are a few of the things that help me keep calm and sane in a world I often don’t recognize or understand. They help keep me hopeful.