20 Practical Actions To Achieve Peace Of Mind

What’s on your mind right now?

Do you have an upcoming meeting you need to prepare for? Are there bills you haven’t paid? Are you travelling next week, but not sure where your passport is?

These things rob all of us of our peace of mind.

True, such stresses are a part of life, but we can take practical measures to minimise them.

Whether it’s a big one-off task looming over you, or the day-to-day minutiae, here are ways to make the effort to be kind to yourself. Perform them daily, or as and when they apply, and give your mind a much needed rest.

20 Practical Actions To Achieve Peace Of Mind

1  Unload your brain
Take a few moments before bed to transfer any worries, thoughts, ideas or things-to-do from your brain onto paper. You’ll stop the thoughts racing around your head so you can enjoy a restful sleep. And you’ll have peace of mind knowing the information is recorded for reference when you’re ready for it.

2  Prepare a checklist around travel
Travelling is stressful enough without worrying about what needs doing before you leave, while you’re away and when you return. Take time to capture all to-do’s and reminders in a simple checklist around your journey. It’ll give you peace of mind to unplug and enjoy your trip – even if you’re travelling for business.

3  Simplify your belongings
Less is easier on the brain. When we have too much stuff, we can experience a disconnect from it all. Assess every item in your home or office and pare down to the absolute essentials and treasures. Peace of mind will be restored when you know exactly what you have and where to locate it.

4  Review your week ahead on a daily basis
It’s no fun getting caught out by an appointment that slipped your mind. Each day take a few minutes to look at the upcoming week to preempt any approaching meetings, events or deadlines. You’ll feel more prepared and mentally confident knowing what’s on the horizon.

5  Tie loose ends at the close of business
A few minutes noting where you’ve left off with your day’s work, and listing anything to be completed or handled the next day, will save you having to remember everything tomorrow. Knowing you’re on top of business matters will give you peace of mind to leave work at work, and enjoy your evening.

6  Do the most important task of the day, as early in the day as possible
Don’t assume you’ve got ‘all day’ to get that important task completed. Anything can happen to throw your day off-course, and if you get behind that important task will loom over you. Tackle it first thing and you’ll have peace of mind the rest of the day.

7  Give yourself ample travel time
How often do you cut it close arriving to meetings and engagements, even when the delay is due to external circumstances? Aim to be early, and add additional travel time to your journey. If you do encounter a setback, those extra minutes will give you peace of mind that, at worst, you’ll have minimised the delay.

8  Prepare early
Ever wait to the last minute on a project and run into a glitch there’s no time to fix, e.g. printer runs out of ink and there’s no replacement cartridge? Beginning preparations early for practically anything gives us an opportunity to meet unexpected hiccups, and the buffer time to recover from them.

9  Devise a Plan B
We’ve heard it a million times, but there is peace of mind in knowing we’ve prepared a Plan B, in the event our Plan A crumbles. Ask, what could go wrong or not to schedule, then work out a contingency plan. You’ll feel reassured knowing you’re a step ahead of yourself.

10  Prepare tomorrow morning in advance
Don’t leave the morning to chance, especially if your morning has several moving parts. Deciding to ‘deal with it in the morning’ is being cruel to yourself. Prep as much as possible the night before when there are fewer distractions. Go to bed with peace of mind that tomorrow morning is already in order.

Peace of mind for five minutes, that’s what I crave.
—Alanis Morissette

11  Use a single calendar for all appointments
Whether you use a digital or paper diary, or a wall calendar, keep all appointments – personal and business – in the same place. Recording appointments in multiple locations is an unreliable method. You’ll have more peace of mind knowing you have one place to look for all your engagements.

12  Use a single collection point for all incoming post and paperwork
If your post and paperwork end up in scattered locations throughout your home and office, you risk losing important bills or documents. Less will go amiss if you designate a single container, e.g. a tray, basket, or magazine file as a collection point to corral all post and incoming documents, prior to processing.

13  Store like with like
It’s easier to get your hands on the AA batteries when they’re kept in the ‘battery box’, with the others. Whatever the category – batteries, shoes, stationery, etc. – it’s kinder on the brain knowing you won’t have to go on a scavenger hunt the next time you need it. Plus knowing your inventory minimises over-purchasing.

14  A place for everything …especially very important documents
Have you ever experienced the stress of searching frantically for bank statements or a passport, or other crucial documentation? Give yourself immediate peace of mind by establishing a dedicated home for such items, plus a system to ensure they always return there following their use.

15  Schedule an ample block of time for the big, important stuff
Been talking about drawing up a will or revising an existing one? How about sorting those finances, pensions and investments? Make a date in your diary now to sort the big stuff. It’ll be a huge weight off your shoulders and your peace of mind will soar.

16  Conquer your paper mountain
If you’ve amassed a significant backlog of documents and unopened post, don’t despair or allow the worry of ‘what might be in there’ chip away at you. Your best bet is to dive in and face the unknown. Even if you uncover something unpleasant, you’ll have peace of mind that you’ve addressed it and can move on.

17  File your tax return early
Once you have all documents in place following the end of the tax year, why wait until the final deadline? Instead of putting yourself (and your accountant) through the wringer at crunch time, get a head start. Feel smug as you enjoy peace of mind that your taxes are done and dusted.

18  Spend 5 minutes a day working on something you keep putting off
There’s nothing worse than the mounting stress and anxiety caused from procrastination. Give yourself some peace of mind knowing you’re taking even minimal action each day. Five minutes may be all you need to gain big momentum on your task, project or goal.

19  Say ‘no’ more often
Most of us are already overcommitted, but still find it difficult to decline a request. We can only do so much. Saying ‘no’ more frequently means we’re honest with ourselves about what we can realistically manage. ‘No’ gives us peace of mind that we’re protecting our current commitments and overall work-rest balance.

20  Practice mindfulness and meditation each day
Here’s a literal way to restore peace of mind, by introducing mindfulness and meditation into your daily routine. Spend a few minutes each morning and/or throughout the day as you feel. Focus your mind, calm your thoughts and create some much needed headspace.

Your turn.

Your assignment is to give attention to something that’s weighing on your mind, and do something about it. Alleviate the stress, pressure, or anxiety so you can put your brain to rest and direct your focus on the present.

Use one of the actions above, if applicable, or come up with your own.

Don’t delay, be kind to yourself and act immediately.

What else do you do to achieve peace of mind?