Advent impulses: Serenity
You've already noticed the irony here - but honestly, what comes to your mind when you think of the festivities? How well do you deal with the imperfect, the actual circumstances or obstacles when you encounter them? What emotions do you experience and how much do they 'spoil' your mood and influence your reactions? Christmas in particular is often a touchstone on the personal serenity scale. Even if we don't immediately blow up like the aforementioned HB man, we still wish we had a little more level-headedness and inner balance - often afterwards. As a reflection on this 'explosive topic', we are dedicating our second Advent impulse to the topic of serenity. What does serenity have to do with our ideals and assessments and why does even artificial laughter help our soul to feel lighter?
SERENITY
They do exist, the people who act appropriately in stressful situations, bring peaceful and constructive thoughts to bear in conflicts and make rational considerations in a level-headed manner even in times of uncertainty. Their calm view of the world helps them to maintain their inner balance and keep their optimistic attitude even in uncomfortable moments.
Such an inner state of mind can be developed and nurtured. Mindfulness practices and stress management techniques offer beneficial support because they train a view of the world that focuses on the ability to accept, be compassionate and let go.
Serenity is the ability to accept reality as it is, without denying or fighting it. Acceptance also means recognizing the facts and finding inner peace, even if the circumstances do not correspond to our wishes.
Letting go means the ability to free oneself from things, thoughts, emotions or expectations that are no longer beneficial or necessary. However, we often cling to ideas or assessments that have a negative impact on our perception of the situation. Serenity, on the other hand, involves the willingness to create space for change and thus for growth.
Reflection questions
- What throws you off balance?
- Where and how do you feel this in your body? What are you doing? And what thoughts are running through your head?
- Which of these are beliefs that you could actually say goodbye to?
- What is important to you instead and what need are you fulfilling?
Tip
When things start to heat up again, here are two simple techniques for keeping your distance:
- Drink a glass of cold water very consciously and slowly in small sips.
- When we feel stressed or overwhelmed by a situation, our thinking becomes clouded and we lose our 'inner grounding'. Counting backwards in steps of 7 will certainly distract you from the stressful situation and (re)activate the rational side of your brain. Start at 100 and count backwards (aloud if you like) in steps of 7 until you feel your inner waves calm down.
Laughter yoga
Laughter can also have a positive influence on your serene state of mind.
Laughter releases endorphins, which are natural stress-relieving and happiness hormones. Laughter also relaxes the muscles and promotes a general feeling of physical and mental relaxation. Laughing also draws your attention away from worries about the past or the future and promotes mindfulness in the here and now - another important aspect for greater serenity.
And even conscious, artificial laughter, as practiced in laughter yoga, can have similar positive effects.
Luckily, we have a certified laughter yoga trainer in our team. Come along to a basic laughter yoga course with Anette.
