Who’s stealing your time to think?
Filling your brain with noise to avoid the silence?
Hello dear friend,
Sitting and doing nothing is scary.
In the silence, our excuses all crumble. We can no longer take solace in shiny things and pretend everything’s fine. Turning a blind eye to life’s glaring problems is impossible.
When we sit alone with our thoughts, we’re forced to face our demons. We’re compelled to focus on all that we’ve been avoiding.
This idea is so terrifying, that most of us don’t allow silence any space in our lives. We drown ourselves in distractions, so we don’t have to confront our deepest fears.
But what if facing our problems was the first step to getting rid of them?
The solutions won’t come immediately. We have to first acknowledge the problems exist. And this in itself is so scary, that so many of us shy away from it.
When you actually think, you can no longer live in denial.
And the weight of the truth can be so daunting that a majority of us learn to ignore it and live a life of lies.
Nothing wrong in that. But the question is for you to introspect: What is it that you’re so afraid of confronting that you’re spending all your silent moments in mindless consumption of information?
“Many of us have forgotten (or even fear) quiet. We live in a world full of noise and chatter. A world wherein our daily routines are inundated with distractions and responsibilities.” — Vijay Eswaran, Don’t Underestimate the Power of Silence
The magic of silence
It’s no secret that silence gives our brain the superpower to come up with life-changing ideas.
As Atalanta Beaumont writes in Psychology Today, silence is golden and also good for our health. According to her research,
Silence stimulates brain growth
Just two minutes of silence can relieve tension
Periodic bouts of silence enhance sleep and lessen insomnia
Lowering sensory input helps us tap into our creativity better.
I could go on, but you get the gist.
Being silent is scary because it takes away the comfort of living in denial. But it allows us to utilize our biggest asset: our brain.
“All the unhappiness of men arises from one simple fact: that they cannot sit quietly in their chamber.” — Blaise Pascal, French mathematician and philosopher
Silence is a gift. Learn to accept it.
Here are some steps I’m taking to embrace silence and give myself more time to think:
Be bored when I’m bored.
Go on walks without any electronic device.
Spend a few minutes every morning journaling in silence.
Have at least one meal a day in silence with no distractions.
Be intentional about making showers and baths full-body experiences.
These are baby steps toward living a life where I don’t have to be terrified of my thoughts. It’s hard in today’s world, but I’m being intentional about it.
I know my shortcomings, but at least I’m no longer living life on autopilot.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this: Who’s stealing your time to think? And when you’re immersing yourself in mindless consumption of content, what problem in life are you running away from?
Hope you liked this week’s message. Note that I create this newsletter for you weekly with lots of love. If you’d like to support me, here’s a link to buy me a book.
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That’s all from my end today. I’ll see you again soon. Till then, stay strong. Keep smiling and be awesome.
With love,
Anangsha.