The other day I did something that I had not done in a while…I took a “naked walk”. I first heard this bizarre term from my husband who is a runner. Apparently it’s a thing to “run naked’, meaning, run without a GPS watch or any device that tracks your heart rate and pace. For runners, running naked helps them focus more on how their body is feeling rather than relying on metrics to dictate the level of workout. For me, I took the term one step further and also left my phone at home while I walked. I normally like to take it with me so I can listen to a podcast while exercising. But, I also know that I am not always getting all the benefits of being in nature while listening to voices blaring through my ear buds.
I do crave peace and quiet. As a personal chef, I often find myself alone in my clients’ homes for hours by myself. I don’t typically play music while working. I actually enjoy the quiet time. It helps me focus and stay in a groove. It helps put me in a flow state. Just me, the food and my tasks.
Especially when I’m going through a hectic time in my life, I love silence. There is so much noise in our daily lives - from vehicle traffic, airplanes overhead, lawnmowers, office chatter and pings from our phones. A lot of these noises are in the background and we may not necessarily notice them, but our brain does. Living amongst perpetual noise creates a sense of unease in our bodies. It makes it hard for our minds to turn inward.
It’s a good idea to incorporate some silent time into each day. Even just a few minutes can be beneficial. It’s especially important to find this time when we are extra busy. This is when we need it most. Maybe you are facing a lot of deadlines at work, your to-do list is miles long or possibly you are caring for young children or elderly family members. Taking a few minutes of quiet time can provide an opportunity to rest, relax and rejuvenate.
Benefits of Quiet Time:
Offers opportunity for self reflection
Enables daydreaming
Boosts creativity
Stimulates new brain cells in hippocampus (memory/emotions)
Cultivates mindfulness
Aids in concentration/focus
Balances our nervous system
Improved sleep
Lower blood pressure
Decrease heart rate
Reduce muscle tension
With all of the benefits of embracing quiet time, it seems as though in our 21st century society that it’s not as easy of a practice as it appears. Silence can be unnerving to many people. We have become so accustomed to stimuli that we feel strange and awkward when we sit in silence. We get antsy and restless. This, I would argue, is why we need quiet time more than ever. To reconnect with our inner selves. Learn to trust our own thoughts and feelings. By practicing silence we can learn to better manage the continuous flow of information that comes at us on a daily basis.
How to Incorporate Quiet Time:
Practice meditation, prayer, devotions, affirmations
Eat without distraction
Look out the window when you're a passenger in a car/train
Walk alone in nature
Take a bath
Read
Journal
Put your phone in airplane mode
Drive/commute in silence
What’s the best time to incorporate quiet time into your day? I would say, as with any other challenge, the best time is the time you would find it the easiest to incorporate into your routine. Typically it’s easiest to find the time in the morning or just before going to bed. I find a nice walk in nature in the middle of the day to be very restorative. If anything, try to be more mindful about the amount of noise and sounds you are exposed to on a daily basis. Take a few minutes alone, without these distractions and see how you feel. You may just find this time in silence to be just what you need to recharge physically and mentally.
Here's a link to a few books if you are interested in digging deeper into cultivating quiet time into your life :)
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