Preserve Your Peace: How to Stay Soft in a World That Keeps Poking You

There’s something oddly powerful about not reacting.

Not because you’re numb. Not because you don’t care. But because you’ve realised your peace is too precious to hand over to every email, comment, or awkward interaction at the supermarket.

Last week, we talked about guarding your gold. Holding your energy like it matters. This week?

We’re going a step further. Now that you’ve called your energy back, how do you keep it steady?

How do you stay soft when the world keeps poking?

Peace isn’t passive

Let’s get this straight - peace is not the same as passivity.

Peace doesn’t mean you never get annoyed. It doesn’t mean you have to be the calm one in the group chat. It doesn’t mean silence, niceness, or avoiding conflict.

Peace is a choice. A practice. A rhythm.

It’s how you decide to move through your life, even when everything outside of you is louder than you'd like.

This week’s word is Preserve. And it holds a different kind of strength.

It’s not about building walls. It’s about tending to what you’ve reclaimed.

Peace is your soft centre. Preserving it is your quiet rebellion.

This doesn’t come naturally to me

Let’s be honest. I’m not someone who came into the world floating on a cloud of peace. I’m an Aquarian autistic woman with a brain that loves judgement, strong opinions, and good old black-and-white thinking. Peace isn’t my default setting. It’s something I’ve had to learn, often clumsily, and sometimes unwillingly.

"It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it." - Eleanor Roosevelt

But my husband? He’s peace incarnate. He’s taught me what it means to be present without needing to control everything. To stay curious instead of reactive. To soften even when I’m convinced I should be gearing up for battle. And through him, I’ve learnt that peace doesn’t mean becoming less, it means becoming more yourself, just with less noise..

So what does preserving peace actually look like?

Honestly? It’s incredibly ordinary. And deeply magical.

It might look like:

• Turning off your notifications, not out of avoidance, but devotion

• Closing your eyes for two minutes before speaking, replying, or reacting

• Choosing not to explain something that doesn’t need to be justified

• Pausing before you pour your energy into something that feels heavy

• Leaving a conversation with your dignity intact and your tongue unbitten

It’s about staying with yourself, even when everything outside is pulling at you.

Sometimes it’s stillness.

You don’t always need to defend your choices.

You don’t need to clarify your tone, fix their reaction, or be the “bigger person” in every situation.

Protecting your peace might just mean staying soft without shrinking.

You don’t have to go cold. You don’t have to disappear.

You just learn when to put the lid back on your teacup and say,

“Not right now. I’m busy being well.”

Rituals that preserve peace without performance

1. The ‘Do Not Disturb’ Spell

Activate airplane mode. Light a candle. Place your phone face-down on the floor. Say aloud, “Peace is my priority. I’ll return when I’ve returned to myself.”Stay offline for 20 minutes. Breathe.

2. The Three-Breath Rule

Before you reply, decide, or engage, breathe in for three counts. Hold for three. Out for three. If you’re still unsure after that, it probably doesn’t need an immediate answer.

3. The Salt & Sound Sweep

Quickly sweep your space with salt water or sound (chimes, your voice, a playlist). Say: “Only what belongs stays. The rest can leave.” Then open a window. Let it go.

You’re not too sensitive. You’re just aware.

The world loves to rush us. It praises urgency, speed, and drama. But there’s power in slow, sacred presence. In choosing when and how you engage.

Preserving your peace isn’t about becoming untouchable . It’s about knowing what’s worth being touched by.

You’re allowed to be thoughtful. You’re allowed to be silent. You’re allowed to walk away.

Because your peace isn’t just a luxury. It’s a signal to your nervous system that you are safe, grounded, and in your own rhythm again.

And that? That’s worth protecting.