Sanctuary of Mission San Jose

I wrote a few weeks ago about the new luxury of silence. I couldn’t help reflecting later that not everyone has that luxury. Whether it’s because of a shared living situation, kids being kids, location, or just the after-effects of another person’s lifestyle, we can’t rely on being able to find silence as a sanctuary. We have to be able to find sanctuary in ourselves.

Here are a few strategies for becoming your own sanctuary:

Find Your Flow State

Csikszentmihaly first outlined the idea of flow: the state in which we lose track of time while remaining fully engaged in and excel at an activity. The activity must be interesting and hold some degree of challenge.  A flow state may be one of the most useful ways to take sanctuary.  Consider the hobbies and activities you’ve enjoyed in the past. What are the things you stayed up way too late working on? When did you lose track of time? These are things you can call upon when you need to find a level of inner quiet. For some, the rhythmic and artistic nature of crafts such as needlepoint and beading create flow states. For others, coding and cooking work. Find the activities that have the potential to put you into a flow state for peace of mind amid chaos for and turn to them when you need sanctuary.

Practice Meditation

Okay, it’s starting to become a running joke that I don’t meditate, no matter how many times it gets brought up.  Still, I remain fully convinced that those who’ve mastered meditation get great benefits from it.  Studies show that during periods of meditation, brain function moves to a calmer cortex and fear centers become less active.  If you can’t quiet the world around you, meditation lets you quiet the world within. For meditation tips, you might check out Goodlife Zen or Litemind’s guide to creating a mental sanctuary.

Take It on the Run

If you’re surrounded by noise, try running away from it. Literally. When you’re exercising (even just walking), it becomes easy to tune out surrounding chaos and focus on your senses.  You can hear, taste, and feel your breaths going in and out.  Exercising helps you get lost in your own world, in pushing your body and feeling it respond. Also, you’re more likely to sleep better, which is truly the most rejuvenating sanctuary there is.

Embrace the Chaos

If there’s really no way the kids are going to stop running around and give you a moment of peace (and seriously, when does that happen?), it’s time to regroup. The best way to relax might just be to surrender to the chaos. Instead of attempting to control the noise and activity, try joining in wholeheartedly. Be the leader of the kitchen band and play the loudest you possibly can.  Instead of getting aggravated by your roommate’s music, try dancing to it.  Construction and crowds outside your window? Try people watching and see if anything inspires you when you stop trying to block it out.

So what works for you? How do you find sanctuary amidst chaos or in your everyday life?

Creative Commons License photo credit: stephcarter

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