UNITED STATES—The mind can be a crazy thing. Our thoughts are sometimes active 24/7 and because of that for many of us it’s difficult to have a moment of peace, of silence of pure bliss if you want to call it. However, lately, my mind has been working overload, and I mean overload. Constant worries about work, about school, about work, about family, about finances, about personal issues, I feel like the brain is operating 24 hours a day and I just want to turn off the light switch people.

I have been trying my best to get a decent night’s sleep, but in the past month, I honestly can’t recall the last time I slept and felt like I really slept, without stress or worries tugging on my brain. I know so many people think being able to dream is a great thing, I beg to differ. To be honest I get the best sleep when I’m just sleeping, no dreams at all.

However, I’m starting to realize something that is indeed helping me find perspective: things are not as bad as they seem. I do live by the ideology that negative energy tends to attract more negative energy. It has become a realization that the more that I allow those negative thoughts or worries to seep into my mindset. I know some people say utilize yoga or meditate, and I believe those are subtle options to calm the mind. However, I have decided just taking a moment to clear the mind, clear all thoughts and being in complete silence is helping me reassess things; to gain a positive perspective on things.

It’s helping me a ton, because I’m reflecting on the gratitude for the things I do have compared to so many others who are in conditions or situations far worse than mine. I have a home to come to, I have food on the table, I have clothing, I have heat, I have electricity, I have transportation, I have my sight, I have my hearing, I’m not missing a limb, I can go on and on with things. That’s the point, so many of us worry sometimes about the stupidest things not realizing that it’s not the end of the world.

Perspective is important because it makes one acknowledge what things he or she can do to improve their situation(s). The mind is indeed a complicated thing, but at the same time it is very powerful. There are always ways to get out of tough situations. Sometimes it just requires a bit of thought, a bit of relaxation and positive thinking. If silence doesn’t work for you, perhaps being in a room with relaxing music, or perhaps yoga is the exercise of choice to calm the mental state or perhaps simple meditation.

People tend to be thrown off by silence, but silence is good sometimes, with our minds always running rampant, a few seconds of pure peace is what we need to regain our composure people. I’m hoping to utilize my revitalized sense of perspective on the people around me for them to not overstress on things they can’t control. Do your best to make sense of the situation and find ways to solve the solution, when you think about something with the right state of mind the solution will come to you sooner than you think.