Seek Calm

Why we need to actively seek out calm, how to do it, and why calm is essential to avoiding burnout.

We are the constant subject of relentless lobbying for our attention. Work, social media, life events, family pressures, financial stress, comparing ourselves against others — we have endless fodder to keep our minds churning and distracted from the present moment.

Whether we are ruminating on the past (“I should have done that differently!”) or worried about the future (“When will things go back to normal?”), our brains have endless material to keep us stuck in a stress cycle.

Here’s the thing.

Left to its own devices, that stress cycle will only end when you burn out.

To avoid hitting burnout (and I really fucking strongly advise you do), you have to take active steps to integrate calm into your life.

How? Glad you asked.

So, what is Calm?

Calm doesn’t just mean doing nothing, or having an empty schedule. Calm is not an absence of activity — it can arise on a hike, during a great conversation, while chopping veggies to make dinner.

Calm is a state of presence, and contentment with the present.