Calm Amidst Chaos: A Gentle Guide to Finding Peace in Uncertain Times
There are moments in life when everything feels like too much.
When headlines weigh heavy, when life isn’t cooperating, when your heart is tired in ways words can’t explain—this is where many of us quietly find ourselves, again and again. And in these tender spaces, Jaclyn Steele Thurmond and Sam Thurmond offer not a solution, but something far more powerful: presence.
They don’t bypass pain or polish over the mess. They meet it with kindness. They invite us to soften, not fix. And most of all, they remind us that peace is not something we find once everything is sorted—it’s something we learn to hold within, especially when life is still in disarray.
This episode was originally recorded during a deeply unsettled time, but its message still rings true today. Now, refreshed with more reflection and richer tools for today’s world, it’s a gentle guide for finding calm amidst chaos—not by pushing harder, but by sinking softer into ourselves.
Calm Amidst Chaos
Chaos doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it hums quietly beneath the surface—an unrelenting to-do list, a persistent ache of uncertainty, or the silent weight of carrying too much for too long. Whether the noise is loud or subtle, global or deeply personal, Jaclyn and Sam believe the invitation is always the same:
Come back to yourself.
This return isn’t always quick or neat. It’s often layered, slow, and beautifully imperfect. But in that slow turning inward, something sacred begins to happen. We find our breath again. We feel our own heartbeat. We remember that we are still here, and we are still whole, even when life feels anything but.
Start With the Body
For Jaclyn, the body has always been the truest guide. It carries us, whispers to us, and holds every feeling we can’t always name. When life begins to unravel, her first question is rarely “What should I do?” and more often, “What does my body need right now?”
It might be a deep breath. A glass of water. A walk around the block. Or simply placing a hand over her heart and saying, “I’m here. You’re safe.”
These small gestures matter. They signal to the nervous system that, even in uncertainty, we can anchor into safety. That even amidst chaos, we can create pockets of calm.
Finding Calm Amidst the Chaos
So how do you do it—really do it—when everything around you feels like too much?
Here are some of the compassionate practices Jaclyn and Sam lean into—both familiar and newly discovered—as they gently navigate the swirling nature of life in today’s world. These aren’t one-size-fits-all solutions. They’re offerings. Quiet invitations to pause, soften, and return.
1. Breathe with Intention
Jaclyn has found that intentional breathing is one of the most accessible ways to settle a spinning mind. One of her go-to practices is a 4-4-6 rhythm:
Inhale for 4 seconds
Hold for 4 seconds
Exhale for 6 seconds
With each exhale, she offers a silent prayer: Let it go. Come home.
Even a few rounds of this can shift the entire nervous system—moving us from fight-or-flight to calm and grounded.
2. Create Gentle Rituals
Ritual doesn’t have to mean candles and chants (though it can). For Jaclyn, it often looks like morning matcha made slowly, music playing while she writes, or lighting a candle before bed as a signal to unwind.
These small, grounding rituals offer rhythm in the midst of unpredictability. They don’t remove the chaos—but they give us moments of steadiness within it.
3. Speak to Yourself Like You Would a Child
In the quiet of her mind, Jaclyn has trained herself to offer gentleness first. When things feel overwhelming, she doesn’t scold herself for not being “strong enough” or “productive enough.” She speaks to herself like she would speak to someone she loves:
“It’s okay to not have it all figured out.”
“You’re allowed to rest.”
“You’re doing the best you can.”
That inner kindness has become a refuge—one she returns to over and over again.
4. Step Away from the Noise
In a world designed for constant input, Jaclyn adn Sam consciously chooses to step away. They limit news consumption, take social media breaks, and embrace quiet evenings without screens. It’s not avoidance—it’s self-preservation.
By tuning out the noise, they make space to tune back into their own knowing.
New Tools for Finding Calm in 2025
As life evolves, so does Jaclyn and Sam’s personal toolbox for finding calm. The practices below are new companions they’ve gathered in recent years—each one offering a different way to find peace in a fast-paced world.
5. Digital Sabbaths
Once a month, sometimes once a week, Sam turns everything off. No phone. No email. No scrolling. Just real life. These digital sabbaths have become sacred—they allow us to reconnect with intuition, body, loved ones, and the earth beneath our feet.
6. Movement That Feels Like Kindness
Rather than approaching movement as something she “should” do, Jaclyn now moves in ways that feel good. Stretching gently. Walking barefoot in the grass. Dancing alone in her kitchen. Movement as medicine. Movement as prayer.
This intuitive embodiment helps her feel grounded, capable, and free.
7. Noticing Micro-Moments of Joy
Jaclyn makes a point to name her joy aloud—even when life feels heavy. A warm drink. A moment of eye contact. The way the afternoon light hits the wall. She’s found that joy doesn’t cancel pain, but it does sit beside it, quietly whispering:
This, too, is real. This, too, is worth noticing.
In Case You Missed It…
Here are a few related reads from the blog to go deeper:
Each one is designed to support your nervous system, elevate your thinking, and help you come home to yourself.
Final Thoughts: A Soft Return
If you are here, reading this—know that you’re not alone.
Jaclyn and Sam believe that healing happens in the pauses. In the small kindnesses we offer ourselves. In the breath we remember to take. And in the grace we extend, especially when we feel like we’re falling apart.
There will always be noise, distraction, and uncertainty. But there can also be softness, breath, and grounding. You get to choose where you place your attention. You get to return—again and again—to the quiet voice inside that says:
“You are safe.”
“You are held.”
“You are already enough.”
Because calm isn’t something we wait for—it’s something we create, moment by moment, within.
And that is the most sacred thing of all.
Live on purpose. Live on frequency.
Ien Araneta - editor of The Freq Show & The Beckon Times
