The Importance of Silence
This morning during my quiet time before the kids were awake I was pondering the power of silence…
(pause for silence)
If you have small children, you may have forgotten what it sounds like. If you did, go into the bathroom, close your eyes, and place your hands firmly over your ears.
... that's silence. It's nice, isn't it?
We live in a noisy world. And it only seems to be getting noisier. In the car, we have the radio. Throughout the day, you have your kids, your spouse, coworkers, and anyone else passing by.
But giving yourself moments of silence is important. But why you might ask.
Why you should embrace silence
Other than the obvious reason, silence allows your mind to rest. Think of your brain like a muscle… yes, it gets some reprieve at night while you’re sleeping. But if you’re using it all day it gets fatigued and run down. Just like your calf-muscle would eventually give out if you tried doing a calf-raise from the moment you woke up to the moment you went to bed. But in a way, that’s what we attempt to do with our brain.
But you say, “I’m a mom… I don’t have the luxury to find quiet moments of solitude for myself throughout the day.” And I completely understand. But “silence” doesn’t necessarily mean moments without noise.
I’m going to give you a few practical ways even you as a busy mom can incorporate “silence” into your day.
But first, I want to tell you what it will do for you.
The benefits of silence
Helps you avoid distraction – this means you’ll be more productive
Gives your mind time to process – you’ll be more equipped to think through things
Allows you to make more decisive decisions – we can all struggle with indecision, but silence helps breakthrough to give you room to think more clearly and therefore be more decisive
Helps alleviate stress and realign with your goals – and maybe the best thing off all: it decreases stress and anxiety, and yes, allows you to focus on what’s important in your day.
But I get it: finding moments of silents can be difficult. But instead of sitting in solitude like a Tibetan monk, I have a few practical ways for you to embrace silence in your day-to-day life.
How to embrace silence when you’re alone
It's important to take time to pause whether you're alone or with someone else. I’m going to give you 4 ways to embrace silences when you're alone:
Turn off your phone – or at the very least, turn off notifications and enjoy the peacefulness of a quiet phone for a while
Get away from everyone – now, you may have to get creative with this one. But maybe this looks like you just going to a coffee shop for an hour. Or, the next time you run errands, ask your husband to keep the kids. Then go through the drive-through, grab a coffee, and sit in the parking lot enjoying it for the next 20 minutes or so before you go back home.
Wake up before everyone – even if it’s only 15 minutes
When you’re on a date and the other person leaves the table for a moment, instead of checking social media, sit at your table in silence and allow your mind to relax