More serenity in everyday life - How to strengthen your inner peace

It is often not the big crises that throw us off balance. It is the many small moments: the full schedule, constant availability, the expectations of others—and our own. Many people today feel a deep exhaustion, even though "everything is actually fine." What is missing is not time. It is inner peace.

The good news: Serenity is not a character trait that you either have or don't have. It is a skill—and it can be trained. So how can you strengthen your inner serenity more and find inner peace?

Why are we stressed?

Before addressing how you can promote serenity in everyday life, it's worth taking an honest look at the cause: Why do we feel so much stress in the first place?

Stress is not negative at first. From an evolutionary biological perspective, it was vital for survival. Our body reacts to danger with an automatic alarm reaction: heartbeat and breathing accelerate, stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released, and focus narrows. The problem: Our nervous system doesn't differentiate between a saber-toothed tiger and an unread email.

In the modern world, it is rarely acute threats, but rather continuous burdens, that put pressure on us:

• constant availability

• high expectations of performance and self-optimization

• lack of time and sensory overload

• comparison with others

• the feeling of never being “finished”

There is also an internal stress amplifier: our thoughts. Ruminating about the past, worrying about the future, and the urge to control everything keep the body in a constant state of alert. The result is chronic stress – and with it exhaustion, irritability, sleep problems, and the feeling of never really getting any inner peace.

The path to more inner peace and relaxation

Often, we cannot control the stress that rains down on us every day. It is all the more important, therefore, to develop strategies to deal with stress appropriately. Inner peace, a certain balance, and serenity help to ensure that stress does not take over. All of this is not a question of character, but can be learned and trained by anyone.

Inner calmness can be trained – also says science

Modern resilience research today confirms what ancient wisdom traditions have been teaching for centuries: Calmness is not an innate talent, but a learnable skill.

Psychologically resilient people do not have fewer challenges than others. The difference lies in how they react to stressors. Although they experience stress, they quickly return to inner balance.

The term "resilience" actually comes from material physics. Resilient materials are those that return to their original state after extreme stress, like rubber. This resilience can also be applied to our mental state. There are people who possess a high mental resilience and return to a balanced mental state even after strong mental stress. Such resilient people complain significantly less than non-resilient ones, have a positive basic attitude towards life and are therefore not easily thrown off course by critical events. On the contrary, they often emerge stronger from stressful moments.

But what strengthens inner resilience? Studies, such as the "Kauai Study" conducted in Hawaii, have shown what resilient people are made of:

• Positive self-perception: Resilient people have a realistic confidence in their abilities. They believe in their ability to handle tasks and see themselves as capable and valuable – even after setbacks.

• Reliable and strong social bonds: These provide emotional security and guidance in difficult times.

• Social and emotional skills: Resilient people can perceive and regulate their feelings, communicate clearly, and handle conflicts constructively.

• Problem-solving ability and flexibility: Instead of despairing over difficulties, they look for solutions, adapt to new situations, and remain mentally flexible.

These factors demonstrably help to react more calmly to stress and deal with it better. But what if you're going through a stressful phase again? What are immediate measures that help in acute stressful situations?

Immediate Strategies for Less Stress and More Calmness in Daily Life:

1. Calm Your Breath – and Therefore Your Nervous System

The breath is the bridge between body and mind. While thoughts are often difficult to stop, the breath can be consciously guided. Studies show that slowed breathing with extended exhalation activates the parasympathetic nervous system – the part of the nervous system responsible for rest, regeneration, and healing.

This is how you calm your nervous system in 2 minutes:

Breathe in through the nose for 4 seconds, exhale for 6–8 seconds. Repeat this for 2–5 minutes.

Just a few minutes daily can significantly reduce your baseline tension.

2. Cultivate Self-Compassion Instead of Self-Criticism

Many people are remarkably hard on themselves. Inner comments like "I should be better" or "I'll never make it" increase stress and weaken resilience.

Positive psychology shows: Self-compassion is one of the strongest protective factors against stress. People who treat themselves kindly in difficult moments are emotionally more stable and recover faster.

In stressful situations, consciously ask yourself:
“What do I need now - and how would I now speak with a good friend?”

This change in perspective not only alters your experience but also the body's stress responses.

3. Do it like the Buddhists: Let go

A central thought of Buddhist teaching is: Suffering does not arise from what happens – but from our resistance to it.

We suffer because we hold on to:

• expectations

• ideas of how we or others should be

• the desire for control and security

But life is inherently impermanent. Those who try to hold on to everything become internally exhausted. Serenity arises when we learn to let go – not out of indifference, but out of clarity.

In psychology today, the term acceptance is used. It is a core component of modern approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Acceptance does not mean approving of everything. It means acknowledging reality as it is – and directing one's energy where it is truly effective.

Not to Forget: Nourish Your Nervous System

Our nervous system is a high-performance network: it processes stimuli, regulates stress responses, controls hormones, thoughts, and feelings. For it to function, it constantly needs a variety of vitamins and trace elements.

• Micronutrients enable neurotransmitter formation

• Micronutrients protect the nerves (antioxidants)

• Micronutrients help in dealing with stress

For example, iodine, copper, and vitamin B2 support the function of our nervous system. The same applies to biotin, folic acid, niacin, vitamin B1, B6, B12, vitamin C, or magnesium. They not only support our nervous system but also contribute to our normal mental function.

With our nutrition, we can significantly contribute to promoting inner peace and calmness. While fast food and ready-made products often contain numerous additives that need to be broken down by the body in a cumbersome manner and cause a restless feeling of fullness, it's quite different with fresh natural products like vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.: The micronutrients (vitamins, trace elements, minerals) contained in them are a boon for our metabolism and are needed in the cells for thousands of metabolic processes that take place in our body every second.

Conclusion: Serenity does not begin externally

Many people hope that everyday life will eventually become calmer. But serenity does not arise when less happens – but when you deal differently with what happens.

Inner peace is like a muscle: the more often you train it, the stronger it becomes.

Maybe it starts today with a conscious breath, with the decision not to take everything personally or with the permission not to have to be perfect. Often it is precisely these inconspicuous steps that make the biggest difference in the long run – and pave the way to more inner peace and resilience.