In this day and age, if I could only give one scrap of advice, it would be: Learn to create quiet time in your life, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day. There’s something magical about the sounds of silence. They are restorative at a very deep level.
I’ve never been one of those people who could watch TV or listen to music while I was doing something else anyway, unless of course, it’s ironing.
I think a big part of the anxiety I see and work with every week would be curtailed if people started practicing silence. It’s one of the first things I ask anxiety clients when they come for a session.
So how can YOU add silence to your life?
If you work in an office, go to lunch alone to a park or a quiet indoor place like a museum or a church. Or find an unused room in your office to spend 10 minutes alone.
Try getting up 20 minutes earlier, before everyone else in the household does.
If you work for yourself, schedule a “quiet break.” If you work for someone else, discuss having a “quiet break” with your boss.
You don’t have to meditate or practice yoga or read inspirational stuff like this blog during your quiet time. The point is to be quiet. Quiet your mind. Just be.
Try it for a month and see if you don’t feel more focused, relaxed, calm and peaceful.