I have always been credited with having a calming presence. I significantly remember one time I was always overseas on tour and one of the guys missed the bus at one of our lunch stops, meaning he had to catch the train back to the city. Unfortunately, it flooded that day so the trains were cancelled or delayed and it took him hours to get back. When he did finally make it to dinner with us, all stressed out and bothered he simply said ‘I just want to sit next to Laura’.

I find it pointless to get worked up. To get angry or in a rage. There is often nothing that will change even if I did put on a big hissy fit. I am not a big swearer at all and I like to keep the peace. Don’t get me wrong, I do have my moments and there are certain things that tick me off but I find by living in a calmer state of mind, things go much more smoothly and I have fewer issues.

So how do I do that? How can you stay in calm mode? These are my top ten tips for creating calm in your life;

1. Eliminate advertising and news from your life. I find it very distracting, it can be distressing, and is usually negative; so I choose to disengage from it

2. Make time to relax and recharge each day or at least each week - I’m not talking anything big here; just ensure you get sufficient sleep and carve a little me time into your week - bathe with magnesium salts, walk, dance, read, hair cut, do yoga, get out in the garden, get your nails done, go fishing; whatever makes you feel relaxed and brings you joy

3. Work with your energy - balance your feminine and masculine energy - there are meditations to listen to for example on Youtube and journal prompts and energy guide you can use from Jake Woodard. Meditations are a great way to bring calm into your life

4. Journal it out - take your stresses out on paper. I write in my journal every night before bed to get some clarity from my thoughts and take time to listen and record messages from my inner voice

5. Stop thinking being busy is a badge of honour - there are no prizes. This has been a biggy for me. Reduce your hectic schedule – say no. Allow white space in your life to just go with the flow of the moment

6. There is no such thing as perfect. Stop thinking perfectionism is to strive for - you only suffer instead. Another biggy I have been working on over the last eight years

7. Home is where you spend a lot of your time. Create it to be calm when you walk in; is it nice to look at? Be in? Maybe update and declutter if necessary and affordable. Create a calming corner to use when you need some time out

8. The bedroom is a space you spend the majority of your time, create a calming place. This will help with your sleep also. I wrote a post on that. You can find it here. Diffuse some lavender essential oil or burn a candle. Use lavender oil on your pillowcase

9. Do a social media detox - challenge yourself to take one day a week without using social media or make some ground rules with yourself; like no social media after 8pm. Delete your apps if you have to. You will be surprised what a difference it makes and how calm you feel without receiving notifications and comparisons

10. Visit a naturopath for some natural remedies to help you cope with stress in your life better and support your nervous system

I have created a Pinterest board with further tips for creating calm in your life. You can find it here.

And for keeping calm while driving; play soft music and leave in plenty of time to get to your destination.

There are also support groups you can join if you are feeling anxious such as myCompass, an online self-help program at Black Dog Institute for people wanting to build good mental health. Asking for help is always a good idea.

What I have found is that you have to make calm a priority. To do this; you must think before reacting. Think before acting. Think before speaking. And to make time for you. Being busy all the time is no good for your stress levels and you need that white space to be able to stop and rest in order to call calm into your life.

What do you do to invite calm into your daily life? Have you tried any of the above tips? We would love it if you joined the conversation and left a comment below.