A state of being refers to the quality of a person’s present experience and inner reality. It is the overall sense of existence we feel at any given moment, characterized by emotions, thoughts, and perceptions. Our state of being is fluid and can shift from one moment to the next based on our interactions, circumstances, and mindset.
Understanding States of Being
- States of being are subjective and personal, reflecting our individual experiences. What constitutes a positive state for one person may not for another.
- Common states of being include joy, calm, anxiety, flow, boredom, frustration, etc. They are defined by the emotions and thoughts present.
- While goals focus on external achievements, states of being relate to inner fulfillment and quality of experience.
- We have the ability to cultivate positive states of being through our choices, habits, perspective, and environment.
Cultivating Desired States
- Identify states of being you wish to experience more fully, such as inner peace, vitality, confidence, etc. Choose 2–3 core states to focus on.
- Break down meaningful states like happiness and success into component emotional and psychological elements. This clarifies what you want to feel.
- Reflect on activities, social contexts, places, thoughts, and beliefs that evoke your desired states. Integrate more of these into your life.
- Let go of or limit influences that lead to unpleasant states like chronic stress and anxiety. This may involve changing jobs, relationships, or thought patterns.
- Practice mindfulness, self-care, and gratitude to enhance presence, resilience, and well-being. Small actions add up.
- Use your desired states as decision-making criteria. Evaluate choices based on the states of being they are likely to produce.
When you consciously create conditions for desired states of being, you take charge of your inner landscape. The result is a deeper sense of fulfillment and alignment from day to day.
Examples of State of Being
Here are some examples of cultivating desired states of being:
- To cultivate a state of calm, you could take time each morning for meditation, go for walks in nature, listen to relaxing music, or practice deep breathing techniques throughout the day.
- To cultivate a state of joy, you could spend more time with uplifting friends, take up hobbies and activities you find fun and engaging, listen to comedy podcasts, or express gratitude for positive experiences.
- To cultivate a state of confidence, you could practice public speaking, set achievable goals and celebrate small wins, learn skills to become more self-reliant, or monitor self-critical inner dialogues.
- To cultivate a state of inspiration, you could surround yourself with uplifting media and art, engage with work you find meaningful, brainstorm creative projects, or expose yourself to new perspectives and ideas.
- To cultivate a state of vitality, you could adopt a fitness routine you enjoy, eat a balanced and nutritious diet, build time for recreation into your schedule, or establish earlier sleep and wake times.
- To cultivate a state of connection, you can reach out to friends and family, have deep conversations, volunteer in your community, join a group with shared interests, or adopt a loving-kindness meditation practice.
The key is to experiment and see which specific actions produce the subjective states you wish to cultivate. With practice, you can learn how to steer your experiences more positively.