Stress, depression, anxiety. None of us are strangers to these issues these days, which is why more people than ever before have turned towards the search for inner peace.

But inner peace isn’t simply something you can turn on; it’s not something you can decide to do and then do it.

Inner peace is a state to be achieved and to be improved upon, a lifelong journey that requires a lifetime commitment.

So how do you find inner peace and what does it really mean?

In this article I discuss the fundamentals behind inner peace: its spiritual and mental connotations with Buddhism, its practical applications with everyday life, and how you can truly incorporate inner peace in the way you live.

How the Modern World Necessitates Inner Peace

The modern world takes a heavy toll on all of us. Smart technology, internet everywhere we go, and an emerging all-access work culture that expects us to be “on” whenever possible.

Lunch breaks become shorter, weekends become extinct, and vacations become something you put off for your retirement.

And it’s not always a matter of choice.

We’re stressed, worried, anxious, and confused. We don’t know if the economy will still have our jobs in 5, 10, 20 years, whether because of one global crisis or another, or the upcoming automation of 90% of our current workforce.

It never feels like we have room to breathe, to choose the sensible option of slowing down because the world just keeps spinning faster and faster and faster.

But for many of us, trying to keep up is just a cycle of self-destruction.

Mental health issues are more prevalent than ever before; suicide is a common part of our social circles rather than a rare occurrence.

Expectations and demands are through the roof, and you’re no longer just competing with your classroom or your office or your town; you’re competing against the whole world.

And this is why inner peace has never been more crucial to our lives. We’ve forgotten what means to live a life where we’re not always overloaded, overworked, and underappreciated, by those around us and by ourselves.