Ten tips for achieving peace and tranquility.

Everyone wants peace and tranquility in life. Yet people often struggle to find them. There are thousands of books on the subject. And they all differ. The truth is, there is no one size fits all answer. So one must find what's right for them. Here is what I found works for me.

- Simplify. Learn your wants from your needs. This is tricky. Everyone knows they need hobbies for example but the what hobbies do you need and which do you want? There is a difference. Think about it. Then cut away the extra and repeat this with everything, from your social circle to clothes, to you name it. Once you know and have all your needs, you can go after your wants at your own pace. And you know that if you cannot achieve or do them it's okay because it's just a want.

- Notice when you're being triggered and be okay to take a break. People, religion and politics are three of the biggest stressor in the world. Sure you may care about a person or a subject but instead of letting it get you angry, depressed, or upset, learn to spot the signs and to walk away. Remember there is no harm from taking a sabbatical from anything including friends and family. Also remember blood doesn't make right. It's okay to tell friends and family no. And you're not required to do for anyone except your spouse and children. It's also okay to cut off end eliminate anyone from your life, doesn't matter if it's friends or family. Especially people who do not live up to your moral standards. You hear this all the time with politics. People will try to shun others over cutting one off over politics but it's not policy, it's the morals or lack of there of that causes people to cut others off. 

- Find a job that covers your expenses and leaves you play money. That requires minimum effort from you. And doesn't harm your mental health. Work is typically one of the biggest stressors in a person's life. It is a negative environment and unfortunately required task that people will absorb the toxic energies from. The less human interaction your job requires, the less negative a job is. Keep that in mind.

- Make sure your house is your sanctuary and that you can relax. If you cannot relax at home there is a huge problem and this will interfere with your mental health. Clean it just enough so that you're content in it, remember you do not live in a muesum. A little clutter is okay. And create as little house work as possible. Avoid having people in your sanctuary but if you must socialize, remember your sanctuary is one of the places that can be used to keep your mind at ease. Just know when to ask people to leave and when to cut visits short.

- Make sure your responsibilities are paid for and done. Don't let responsibilities become an extra stressor. If you have a serious responsibility that's not a bill, take care of it as soon as possible. Friend of mine knee they had a problem with their vehicle and they kept putting it off. You can guess what happened. Dont be like my friend. Pay your bills to avoid unwanted anxiety or repercussions and keep up on the other stuff. It is typical okay to procrastinate on everything but bills.

- Get pets, pets that are low maintenance to help with socializing as people require to much to maintain relationships. Cats are great emotional support animals and unlike dogs, they do not require a lot of extra attention as they're fairly independent. Caged or aquarium animals are also good for mental health. A they can calm your nerves and although they may not be able to respond, they're good to vent to.

- Make sure you have things/hobbies that you don't mind doing repetitively. Boredom can lead to mental health problems like depression and stress. So try to have around five things to entertain yourself with that don't require much effort. It's okay to enjoy lots of things but make sure you have a handful of things you enjoy doing available to you. I mean just because you enjoy swimming or skiing doesn't mean you can do it year round. So be okay if you're unable to do those thing by having hobbies you can do anytime that you enjoy.

- Stick to a routine and try not to break it. Routines protect mental health. Rare surprises maybe nice but frequent surprises and changes from routine can have significant detriment to one's mental health. This includes socializing. It's okay to break routine to socialize once in a while but don't make a habit off of it. This will lead to stuff in your daily life not getting done, and that will lead to stress on your mental health.

- Have at least one person to socialize with in person for maybe a minimum  of 15 minutes a week. Also avoid people and try to prevent socializing with anyone or at least keep it to just text or social media. Remember socializing unneededly raises stress and anxiety levels. Socialize how you feel comfortable, regardless if it's verbal or via text. And understand not everyone is comfortable using the same means of communication. And when people who are comfortable using different forms of communication socialize there can be misunderstandings if one of them is not comfortable in the type of communication being used.

- Eat. Eating is good for the mind, body, and spirit. Eating is one of the things that release dopamine. Dopamine is released from the pleasure center. Which is why keeping eating as the primary activity for socializing makes the process easier to get through. Food is the universal language of love. So love yourself and if you must socialize, food is a way to show others you care.

Like I said this may not be for everyone. Not everyone is wired the same way. It's about research, trial and error. These these ten things have worked for myself and I believe that they can help others achieve a sense of peace and tranquility. Give them a try and don't be afraid to tweak them to suit you. Also don't feel like you wasted time if these don't work for you. You may be more extroverted or psychologically feel the need to exert more energy. Good luck and remember to breathe.