Toronto is basically nuts – it’s always busy, hectic and loud. Maintaining your mental well-being through the chaos is a major challenge.

Although we Torontonians love our cities – the people, the scene, the feeling alive with the heartbeats of a metropolis – we don’t need it all the time, every day. Here are four tips for finding mindfulness in the chaos of Toronto.

Understand that mindfulness is just that – in your mind

It sounds obvious, but keep in mind that there are countless situations in which you can practice mindfulness, but rarely do, because there are people around you. That doesn’t mean you can’t, however.

20% of Toronto citizens spend at least 30 minutes on public transit, and this is conveniently the amount of time most people who practice mindfulness say to spend doing it. If you find yourself killing time on your phone or anything else while you’re making your commute, think about closing your eyes and allowing your surroundings to blend into your mind – you may find it easier than you think.

Get noise-cancelling earbuds

This definitely helps for the technique above, especially if you get some really calm beats or even nature sounds, but the ability to physically block out the city from your ears can be a great benefit most of the time. Or get a bit weird with delta waves.

Find parks and go outside! It’s gorgeous this time of year!

Parks are always a great way to escape from the hectic day and regroup your spirit for a while. There are a ton of green spaces around if you know where to look, and all of them can help you when you’re feeling a bit overcharged. Marie Curtis Park is fantastic and has great walks. Rouge Park is great as well – and of course, they’re both on the shore!

Get up early

Cities, especially Toronto, rarely sleep, but that also doesn’t mean that they wake up early. Try getting up a bit early (6 or 7 am) so you’re awake before the city is. Generally, you’ll find a quiet stillness most of the time. Enjoy it and go grab a coffee, or just take a nice jog and feel like you’re one of the only people in the world.