Find Stillness to Cure the Illness - zen habits

This act of inaction is not natural to us, as we are never taught to just be, but to always do something.

But just by pausing, closing your eyes and sitting still for a minute and just focusing on your breath as it happens is the antidote to all the stress that the noise creates.

Stillness has a strength, a calming effect on us and our surroundings. Our being still slows down the world around us, allowing us to focus and concentrate on the essential.

To be still takes courage in this frenetic, chaotic world where everyone is always in a rush. Being still allows us to find the strength from within, rather than outside.

• Find a time in the early morning hours when it is quiet, making sure you don’t fill your mind with junk and anxiety by checking your phone notifications.
• Just sit and try to be comfortable with the concept of doing nothing: no drinking, no snacking, no planning your day. Just embracing calm.
• Gradually, you will find other pockets of time during the day when you can just be, and your calmness will help you create stuff, exercise, work and do everything more effectively.