Learn the importance of self-preservation and how it helps in maintaining mental peace. Learn self-preservation techniques to protect peace of mind.
Self-preservation can be described as our innate biological instinct to stay alive. Every animal on earth is born with this instinct. It is our body’s way of protecting us from danger.
Self-preservation aims to ensure your personal well-being, physical or mental. The importance of self-preservation lies in the fact that your mental, physical and emotional health is key to leading a fulfilling life. And many of us already know this but struggle to figure out how to maintain peace of mind. To answer this question, we need to first understand self-preservation in detail.
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What Is Self-Preservation?
Self-preservation is all about taking care of yourself and learning ways to protect your peace of mind. Self-care and self-protection are some aspects of this basic instinct. If your body sees something as a threat, psychologically, when your body is trying to preserve itself, it can manifest in the form of a fight or flight response, stress or anxiety. This is why one of the key aspects of self-preservation is setting boundaries and intentions. It can look different in different contexts. For example, in a work environment, self-preservation could look like taking a pause before responding to a work emergency. In the case of relationships, it might look like spending some time alone after spending the whole day with your partner. It can look different for different people as it also depends on your personality and your own needs.
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Why Self-Preservation Is Crucial for Mental Peace
Self-preservation plays a crucial role in preserving our mental peace. It protects us from psychological and emotional health. If you’re wondering how to maintain mental peace, here are some common ways people do it.
- Setting healthy boundaries.
- Taking regular breaks.
- Using healthy coping mechanisms.
- Indulging in self-care.
- Avoiding contact with people or situations that trigger you.
Read more on: How to develop self-love
Self-Preservation Techniques to Maintain Peace of Mind
Self-preservation techniques are ways you can protect your peace of mind. These are the answers to the question we often find ourselves asking – how to protect mental health? Here are some ways you can learn how to keep mental health optimal.
1. Spend Time in Nature
Even twenty minutes outdoors is proven to lower your cortisol levels significantly. Cortisol is the hormone responsible for stress. It is known to ground you and bring you inner peace.
2. Contribute to Society
In whatever way you can help others. When you do this, your mind feels more content and calm. It gives your life meaning and signals your brain to think more positively.
3. Embrace Forgiveness
It’s easier said than done, but it’s good to let go. Forgiving others and yourself brings a certain inner peace that no other technique can. It releases your mind of older grudges and pent-up feelings that might otherwise harm your body in adverse ways.
4. Practise Breathwork
Deep breathing has many benefits, and one of them is self-preservation and peace of mind. The slower you breathe, the calmer your mind is, whereas the faster you breathe, the more overwhelmed your mind is. So, when you’re stressed out, try various breathwork exercises.
5. Read and Gain Wisdom
Ground yourself consistently by reading spiritual texts. This will not only encourage your personal growth but it will make you more resilient to life’s challenges. You will be able to overcome any difficulty if you’re in touch with the spiritual world.
6. Try Journaling
Writing privately to express yourself helps release pent-up emotions and promotes calm. Journaling about what you’re thinking and feeling can help you immensely to become more self-aware and navigate your life accordingly. It is an extremely powerful and therapeutic exercise known to protect your peace of mind.
7. Meditate
Meditation is beneficial in many ways – it is known to reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure, improve the quality of your sleep, harness a sense of calm and improve heart health, among others. If you don’t know where to start, guided meditations are your best bet. You can start small and gradually move on to meditating for longer periods.
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Self-preservation is an innate instinct all of us are born with. Self-care and self-protection are part of it. It is our brain’s way of protecting us from any threat or danger. When we don’t protect our peace of mind, it can lead to stress, anxiety and other physical or mental ailments. This is why self-preservation is a crucial part of your mental health. Some ways you can maintain your peace of mind are meditating, journaling, breathwork, spending time in nature and embracing forgiveness. Learn more about self-preservation from trusted experts on SoulSensei.
Sources
- Verywellmind – why self-preservation is the key to protecting your peace every day. By Katharine Chan.
- Artofliving – Want to protect your peace of mind? 8 tips to protect your mind and body. By Elizabeth Herman.
- LinkedIn – Foster self-preservation to enhance your overall wellbeing. By Dr. Whitney Gordon-Mead.
