There was a time when I thought peace was a destination, in much the same way I imagined I’d eventually arrive at happiness or success. It seemed like something I needed to chase or find—definitely not something I could experience without dramatically changing my life. I needed to work less, relax more, and generally revamp my circumstances and relationships in order to be a peaceful person. Despite seeing peace as an endpoint, I also saw it as something passive; after all, that’s why I was so stressed: I had so much to do. I’ve since realized that peace is always available, and like any desirable state of mind, it requires effort, even if that effort entails consciously choosing to be still. Sure, our circumstances affect our mental state, but they don’t have to control them, not if we make tiny choices for our well-being. Admittedly, it’s not easy to choose peace when we’re going through tough times. I still go through periods when I get caught up in worries and stresses, and it can feel like that’s the only available response to things that have happened. But it’s not. There are countless things we can do to create peace of mind, both in response to events in our lives, and proactively, everyday. If you’d also like to develop a greater sense of peace, you may find these suggestions helpful: Meditation 1. Take five to ten minutes for a simple seated meditation. 2. Take 100 deep breaths, counting “and one,” “and two,” and so on, with “and” on the inhalations and the numbers on the exhalations. 3. Take a meditative walk, focusing solely on the physical sensations of walking—the earth under your feet, the swing of your hips. 4. Find a guided meditation on YouTube and let it lull you into a blissful state of presence. 5. Practice alternate nostril breathing. Hold the left nostril down and inhale through the right; then hold the breath. Release the left nostril, hold the right one down, and exhale through the left. Now start on the left with an inhalation, exhaling on the right. This is one set. Do up to five of them.