The Importance of Freedom and Peace of Mind
Freedom can mean different things to different people. Most people think of it under a democratic government. Or perhaps they think of freedom of choice.
But it can also mean freeing yourself from the negative thoughts and emotions that can sometimes take over your life. Here at Hope Grows, we focus on providing caretakers a chance to exercise that freedom, releasing their minds from the day-in, day-out stress of caring for others.
Here are some ways to think about it in a new way.
Emotional Freedom
This allows you to better control your reaction to the things around you. That can include stressful events or people treating you unfairly. By giving yourself freedom from having an emotional reaction, you can seek a peaceful place to process what is happening and how you will deal with it.
Freedom From Negative Thoughts
Can you control what you think, as if the brain is a muscle you can exercise into shape? The answer, according to many different experts, is “yes.” With focus and practice, you can control what you think about and work to eliminate obsessive thoughts on negative issues.
Science backs this up. Many studies have found that changing your thinking can change how you perceive the world around you. A positive outlook can lead to a more peaceful life. But “changing your reality” requires some work on your part. You must think about the way you are thinking and turn your thoughts away from negative issues.
Freedom From Others’ Opinion
What people think of us is important to everyone. To a certain extent, that’s a good thing. We all want to behave in a way where others find us a pleasure to be around. However, sometimes we find ourselves worrying too much about the judgment of others. That can lead to us acting in ways that we otherwise never would act. The ability to free yourself from that type of worry can truly be liberating.
Free Yourself From The Inner Critic
This goes together with freeing yourself from negative thoughts. But in this case, they are all self-created. Somewhere along the way we were taught that certain things were supposed to be done certain ways, and that we are failures if we don’t do them in that way. We develop nagging inner voices that we use to constantly criticize ourselves.
It’s important to realize that is all in our own heads! Only each person can free themselves from those inner voices and “give yourself a break.” Not everything has to be perfect in every phase of our lives. It’s important to relax and just be ourselves.
Freedom is a topic that many consider, but not always in these ways. Give yourself the time and space to think about ways you are not free. Focusing on granting that freedom can lead a much calmer, peaceful and productive life.