Derval O'Rourke: And breathe... seeking serenity can be easier than you think

Cauliflower rice-stuffed peppers: this week’s recipe is perfect for a quiet evening by yourself

Finding some peace amongst the noise is important. 

Good weather tends to bring us all out of the comfort of our own homes. We head to beaches, promenades, restaurants, and bars — and it’s great to enjoy the hustle and bustle of it all. Yet social media is filled with people trying to find the most remote places to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet! Let’s have a chat about finding some peace amongst the noise. This week’s recipe is perfect for a quiet evening by yourself.

I’m as much a fan of getting out and about as the next person. But there does come a point when a packed beach or a restaurant filled with noisy chatter just isn’t my vibe. Sometimes I just like things to be calm and quiet.

Here are 5 ways you can find your peace

1. Breathe it in! Instead of focusing on the noise, focus on your breathing. Our brain is such a cool organ, but it can only do so much at one time. If you focus on breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, whilst counting the breaths, the noise starts to melt away. (This can also be a great tip if being in crowded areas makes you feel a little stressed).

2. Headphones on! I often pop my headphones on and don't even have music on! This way, I can still hear what's going on around me, but it’s dulled and less distracting.

3. Use your local knowledge. We all have that place we know about, where it’s quiet, not many people go there, and the tourists don’t venture to. Take yourself off and spend some time there. Take in the sounds, the air, the peace. Use your mind to take a snapshot of it to revisit later. You could also take a photo of it.

4. Look at what makes you happy. On your phone, save a picture of your favourite place as your opening screen. When you’re in a noisy place, pick up your phone and look at the photo to transport you back to that day.

5. Have you any idea how nice it is in a library in the summer! Everyone HAS to be quiet, it’s nice and cool and you can escape into a comfy chair and your favourite author for an hour! Joining the library is one of the simplest but loveliest things you can do.

Try to resist the pressure to be everything to everyone. A nice balance between meeting up with friends, going on adventures with family and taking some time for you is okay. A walk by myself in the evening is a favourite for me. When the day is done, I love to take an hour, head out on the road and recharge my social batteries. If you find yourself becoming tired and dreading the next day's events, this is your cue to evaluate what you have going on and maybe choose one or two things you really want to do and cut out the ones that won’t absolutely give you joy.

When all else fails, you can always hide in the car!

Wellness Tip: Take some time for yourself in your favourite place. Even if you go there as a family, take yourself off to the side for a few minutes and save it in the memory for later!

Exercise Tip: Knees Up! You can do this two ways: stand in one spot, bring your knees up nice and high in a marching speed. Move your arms with your knees to give you balance. For those who want more of a challenge, you can do this at a running speed. Do this for 20 seconds on a 10-second break and repeat 3 times.

Cauliflower rice stuffed peppers

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

This recipe is perfect for a quiet evening by yourself.

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 35 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 red and 1 yellow pepper

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 packets of cauliflower rice

• 100g lentils or couscous, pre cooked

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• Red chilli

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• Coriander, 3 tbsp roughly chopped fresh

• 50g goats cheese cut into chunks

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.

2. Meanwhile, cut the peppers in half from top to bottom and discard the seeds. Place, open-side up, on a baking tray (cut a sliver from the base if necessary to help them sit flat). Bake for 15 minutes.

3. Add oil to a frying pan and sauté the onion over a medium heat, stirring regularly, for 4-5 minutes.

4. Add the chilli, garlic, cumin and coriander and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Add the cauliflower rice and lentils and cook for 3 minutes.

5. Add the coriander and season with a little salt and pepper. Mix together.

6. Fill the peppers with the mixture. Dot with the cheese and return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the peppers are softened and the filling is piping hot.