From the little things like a spoon out of place to the devastating blows of being laid off from work, it can feel like the world is out to get us.
Stress and suffering are unavoidable and integral parts of the human experience. However, it’s up to us to make sure that despair doesn’t consume us.
After all, happiness is a choice, not a given.
With that said, losing your head seems inevitable. Especially in these trying times, peace of mind is at a premium.
That’s not all. When you’re in the middle of a crisis, it can feel like you’re being boxed into a corner with no way out.
How are we supposed to live like this?
Are we doomed to an existence of grinding through trials until we die?
Of course not.
Lots of people have lived long and happy lives long before us, and people will live long and happy lives long after we’re gone.
What then is the secret sauce to this kind of life-changing clarity?
To this end, we can look to the stars for a solution.
Our Zodiac sign gives an excellent insight into some of our core personalities and traits. So, by extension, we can examine our signs for insight into what helps us ground ourselves in times of trouble.
Of course, we are all unique and beautiful individuals. What might allow an Aquarius to tap into their inner sanctuary might send a Taurus deeper into the depths of despair.
With that said, let’s examine what makes each sign tick and determine what they can do to achieve peace of mind.
ARIES
Mar 21 – April 20
Born under the Aries sign, you are generally fiery and headstrong. While this attitude helps you push your limits and achieve more, it also makes you irritable and restless.
One thing you can do for some peace of mind is to establish a balance between work and life. Explicitly reserve time out of your day for relaxation if you have to.
To aid with that, you could try to work smarter instead of harder. Look into your work and your tasks and try to cut out any unnecessary busywork. Who knows, you may find yourself with a lot more free time.
You can also release any pent up tension and restlessness by doing high-impact activities like martial arts and sports. Additionally, you should also destress and indulge in relaxing activities like meditation, reading a book, or watching a movie.
TAURUS
April 21 – May 21
Born under the Taurus sign, you are dependable and determined. Everyone values you for your strong sense of self. However, your stability can also manifest as stubbornness and possessiveness.
If you find other people opposing your ideas, take a deep breath, and humor their thoughts. When you manage to remove your pride and fears from the equation, you relieve yourself of the unnecessary emotional burden.
Consider meditation and mantras to help you acknowledge and let go of thoughts that can’t seem to leave your mind.
Additionally, as an earth sign, you can always look towards nature to help you relax and allow you to gather yourself and your thoughts.
You can also indulge in your more leisurely rituals to find your happy place. Sometimes the comfort of watching your favorite show or making your afternoon tea is all you need to feel at peace.
GEMINI
May 22 – June 21
Born under the Gemini sign, you are a social butterfly. You thrive on talking to others and sharing your thoughts. But this also comes with a tendency for being manipulative and inconsistent, switching between energetic and withdrawn.
First off, make sure that you aren’t overworking yourself. Sometimes it can feel like you are bursting at the seams with things you want to share with others, which can manifest in physical tension and restlessness.
When you start to feel antsy, try to relax. Regular deep breathing exercises can do wonders to help you slow down and calm down. You can also acknowledge your thoughts and ease your mind by doing visualization exercises.
Lastly, calm your nerves and loosen your wound-up body. Maybe spoil yourself with a nice warm bath or a soothing massage.
CANCER
June 22 – July 22
Born under the Cancer sign, you are empathic and thrive on caring for others. However, you can be beholden to your emotions and overly self-sacrificing.
Above all else, make sure that you are taking care of your own needs. It isn’t selfish to nurture yourself, and it isn’t a kindness to anyone if you martyr yourself unnecessarily. Even when they ask for help in earnest and without malice, trying to take care of everyone all the time will drain you.
Another thing you have to do to relieve yourself of stress is to learn to set boundaries. If you do not assert yourself, other people’s needs will drain you physically and emotionally.
You must go at your own pace. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, take a moment to slow down, get your bearings, and indulge in a little self-care.
LEO
July 23 – August 21
Born under the Leo sign, you are loyal, brave, and have a unique charm about you. But, you can also be intolerant and controlling.
In the long run, you want to shift your self-worth from others’ opinions to your opinion of yourself. You can do visualizations and self-affirmations to help you ground yourself.
Also, you should make an effort to listen more. When you stop viewing social interactions as competitions where someone has to lose, you develop a healthy attitude. You can open up to people more and see their actions in a better light.
To relax, you should take some alone time to enjoy something you like by yourself. With no one else to compete with or impress, you can better savor the little joys of life.
VIRGO
August 22 – September 23
Born under the Virgo sign, you are organized and practical. On the one hand, you are a great thinker and problem solver. On the other hand though, you have problems with perfectionism, both in your work and others.
Overall, you release yourself from a lot of stress by being more forgiving. Cut yourself and other people some slack. It benefits no one if your standards are too brutal and unrealistic.
In particular, pay attention to how you address yourself privately. If you find your inner voice to be too critical, make an effort to change your tone from criticism to understanding.
Give yourself some time to just go with the flow. Now and then, you should let loose and do something spontaneous and out of the ordinary. Additionally, if you find yourself fretting excessively, doing something physical to get out of your head.
LIBRA
September 24 – October 23
Born under the Libra sign, you value stability and harmony first and foremost. This peace-loving demeanor makes you a good mediator and a good friend. The issue here is that your perspective and idealism belies your gullibility and indecision.
You can save yourself a lot of stress by being organized. What this means is that you would benefit from a tangible reminder of important things. Maybe try making a to-do list or setting reminder alarms.
Also, you should consider making a list of the pros and cons of things you are deliberating. An organized representation of the facts should help you thwart indecision.
You might enjoy having an outlet for your creative expression of your emotions. Consider painting, dancing, or any activity regarding the arts and communicating with others. Maybe a more abstract or artistic medium would better allow you to let others know how you feel.
SCORPIO
October 24 – November 22
Born under the Scorpio sign, you are intense and passionate. You hold confidence and fire beneath a calm persona. However, when this passion becomes too intense, you tend to fall into obsession and jealousy.
The name of the game is stress management. You may have strong emotions, but you don’t want them to get the better of you.
When you start to feel stressed, you should try some self-calming techniques to help you cope. Take a deep breath, and maybe recite a grounding mantra.
When the situation is still going over your head, take a step back to recover. When you slow down and assess the issue as a whole, you may be able to untangle yourself from the stressful details.
Lastly, you’re a water sign. When things get rough, take some time off to have a swim or a warm bath. The water may soothe your soul and calm your body.
SAGITTARIUS
November 23 – December 22
Born under the Sagittarius sign, you have a healthy sense of humor and face life with a curious wonder. However, when you don’t check yourself, you can tend to be irresponsible and blindly optimistic.
An excellent way to maintain a peace of mind is to temper your optimism with an objective realism. Furthermore, you can bridge the gap between your expectations and reality by examining your life and seeing where you feel trapped.
Also, while your optimism is infectious and useful, you need to make an effort to feel things. You can’t just bottle up and ignore bad feelings, or else they’ll add up and eat you up.
To relax, why not use all that extra energy in something physical, like sports? You may enjoy healthy competition and camaraderie.
CAPRICORN
December 23 – January 20
Born under the Capricorn sign, you thrive on structure and discipline while remaining grounded in practicality. Unfortunately, you can also be prone to pessimism and hiding your problems.
You are the company you keep. Brighten your mindset by surrounding yourself with hopeful radiant people. Let go of people who only drain you emotionally.
Another thing to consider is finding a confidant: a family member or close friend you can trust with your problems. You may have issues with letting others know about your aches and pains and bottling it all up cant be healthy.
Moving on, an excellent way to relax and collect yourself is to do some activities that emphasize the connection between the mind and the body. Try some yoga or tai chi. These exercises may help you unwind and find harmony from within.
AQUARIUS
January 21 – February 19
Born under the Aquarius sign, you have a unique worldview and a free spirit. You see the bigger picture and plan around it. Because of this attitude, you are prone to being unpredictable and emotionally distant.
It can be a struggle to let your true nature run free without ostracizing yourself from your community. While some accommodation for society’s rules is typical, you should give yourself some leeway to let your personality show.
You may be flighty and always absent-minded, so practicing to be aware in the present moment can help you be more emotionally present to those close to you.
Just take some time to do things that allow you to be who you are. Indulge in the arts: play some music, or write a story. Your individuality is important and valid.
PISCES
February 20 – March 20
Born under the Pisces sign, you are a dreamer and a thinker. You are also compassionate and trusting, but this also makes you wishy-washy and gullible.
A key piece to your peace of mind is learning to recognize what stresses you out. In your attempt to be helpful and understanding, you may be ignoring things that are already hurting you.
Be careful of people who only want to take advantage of you. Allow yourself a level of skepticism so that those people can’t fool you.
Don’t cage yourself up so much and let your mind run free from time to time. No one can blame you for wanting to indulge in a beautiful dreamland like yours. Just don’t forget to come back and ground yourself in reality eventually.
