You can have peace can even when you have been through trauma or if you are grieving. This doesn’t mean you have to force happiness or pretend that the loss didn’t happen. It simply acknowledges that alongside suffering, there can also be moments of steadiness, breath, and relief. These moments are not a denial of what happened. They are learning to live alongside what happened.

A Three-Step Approach to Peace :

1. Create brief moments of physical safety through slow breathing, grounding, or gentle movement. This calms the nervous system without denying pain.

One time, I put on some Black Sabbath and started moving my body to War Pigs. Never before had it moved me like it did this day. But as I moved my body to its tune, the tears started flowing. I had emotions built up inside me that had been begging to be released, but I kept ignoring them. So my body said, “Well, now we’re going to cry while you dance to War Pig, a very unlikely match.” I felt so much better after that!

2. Practice holding two truths at once. You can acknowledge your pain while also noticing that you are safe.

3. Redefine peace as steadiness rather than happiness. Peace can mean staying anchored for a few minutes, even when you’re not feeling joyful.

I’ve lived this. I’ve known what it’s like to carry a grief that reshapes everything, to sit in the aftermath of trauma and wonder how to keep moving. The words I’ve written here come from experience, from finding small moments of steadiness in the middle of inner storms. I’ve learned, often the hard way, that peace doesn’t mean forgetting or feeling happy. It means allowing space for both the ache and the breath.