In a world of war, is it OK to find inner peace?

Like many people, ?I have found the last few weeks really difficult. Each day I wake to news of more women, men and children killed through bombings and violence, more people displaced and with no support or shelter – in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, Ukraine. And no signs of things getting any better. The heartbreak, anger, despair, and hopelessness I feel can be too much to bear at times.

I have also been questioning myself, repeatedly: What can I do? Am I doing enough? Am I just another person watching carelessly on the sidelines as genocide unfolds? What real influence can I have anyway?

In a world where we have instant access to the horrors occurring minute by minute, day by day, on our computer and mobile phone screens; where alongside that there are constant calls to action, reminders of what we should be doing, or what we’re ignoring or what we must be doing right now as a matter of urgency…..I feel pulled in different directions, guilty, overwhelmed and often paralysed by it all. And I know many passionate, caring, generous people who feel the same.

So, I have been reflecting on this question:

Is it OK to search for inner peace in a world full of war and injustice?

Self-care of any sort may feel indulgent right now. It can be easy to spiral into shame when we even consider or talk about it, particularly if we see others around us doing the hard stuff of engagement, bearing witness, campaigning every day with so much apparent strength and stoicism.

Yet I know, from my own experience and from clients I have worked with, that if operating from a place of inner turmoil – where anxiety, fear, shame and rage are dominant over every other human emotion – we are not doing our social change efforts any good.

And this is not to say that some emotions such as rage aren’t helpful – they certainly can be, to galvanise us into action, or even to allow free expression for those of us (women in particular) conditioned to be ‘good girls’.

But operating from that place every day, in every instance is exhausting. And it can be damaging for you and for the people around you.

Here is what trauma therapist and social justice activist Resmaa Menakem has to say about this:

‘There is always much to be done – and much that needs doing. But no human body can be activated all the time. Your body’s abilities are finite…Self care will help you be a more effective activist – and a better human being. You will bring a healthier body and nervous system to your activism. You will also lead a happier and more balanced life.’

Resmaa Menakem, My Grandmother’s Hands

So, what does it mean to search for inner peace? I am not suggesting this requires a meditation retreat, or even sitting on a cushion and meditating at home. It may be many different things, that help us to ground back into our bodies; to feel back into our flesh and bones and what makes us a part of nature alongside the rocks, plants and animals around us; and, importantly, to remember our joy.

Here is what inner peace has looked like for me

• Go for a conscious walk, without my phone
• Have a long bath with soothing music
• Cook some nourishing and tasty food
• Journal, or write morning pages (three pages of free flowing written consciousness without any editing)
• Painting, or drawing (this one is very new to me)
• Have a nap - or do a yoga nidra (yogic sleep practice)
• Take time observing the natural environment. I recently came across a community of snails up a tree (see image below) and somehow this brought me back to a sense of shared humanity, and the importance of togetherness.

It is through these practices that I restore some calm and clarity, where I feel more confident and assured about my place in the world and what it is I need to do.

I also know from the clients I have worked with, that there is beauty, harmony and connection in practising inner peace with others. Activists, humanitarians and charity workers I have supported in the UK, Lebanon, Syria, the US and Rwanda have shared how much they value coming together with others to feel their pain and their grief, and their hope and their joy, and to explore practices that can help them find that sweet spot of inner peace so they feel more energised to do their work.

Whoever and where ever you are: you are allowed to find this inner peace for yourself. Indeed, you have every right to, and it may prove the best thing you can do for your social change efforts.

Come and join me and many other humanitarians and human rights defenders in our monthly community Circle of Practice. Our next session is on 6th November and focuses on collective resilience. Take a look at the different sessions, and register here.

If you’re in London, come to a special event with me and Dimple Dhabalia on 28th October at 6.30pm as we explore with other experts in mental health and wellbeing what it means to move Beyond Burnout in the humanitarian and development sector. Register here.