Unless you live in a Carthusian monastery, your life is undoubtedly filled with noise, distractions, and interruptions from the moment you wake up until you lay your head down to get some sleep.
In this reality, stillness can feel unnatural – even uncomfortable. We fill every gap in our day with emails, meetings, and social media, leaving little room for reflection. Yet, it is in stillness that we often find the greatest clarity. It is in solitude that we can reconnect with our most authentic self, and finally hear “the still, small voice within.”
The Power of Stillness
True stillness isn’t just about quieting external noise – it’s about quieting the internal chatter. When we allow ourselves to pause, we create space to:
- Reconnect with our inner wisdom – The answers we seek often emerge in silence.
- Reduce stress and anxiety – A calm mind leads to better decision-making and emotional resilience.
- Deepen self-awareness – Observing our thoughts without reacting to them – the practice of Mindfulness – inevitably fosters growth and insight.
Overcoming the Fear of Silence
Many people avoid stillness because it forces them to face their thoughts and emotions. But rather than seeing silence as empty or unsettling, we can begin to view it as a powerful tool for personal transformation.
Cultivating Stillness
If “getting quiet” feels uncomfortable, start small:
- Begin with five minutes a day – Focus on the physical sensations of your breath – the rising of your abdomen on the inhale, and the various sensations as your abdomen falls on the exhale. Let your thoughts similarly rise and fall aways, without chasing them. Simply observe how they come and go.
- Incorporate mindfulness into daily activities – Internal stillness need not be reserved to periods of sitting on a meditation cushion. Walking, eating, and even driving can be opportunities to practice presence and might be even more powerful, because they require stillness in the midst of physical activity. Such practice periods are arguably the whole point of practicing stillness – generating an ability to be peaceful and quiet within, even as you are engaged in the “busyness” of life.
- Turn off distractions – Try moments of intentional disconnection from screens and noise. The more you can do this throughout the day, the less your mind will feel compelled to seek out the dopamine hits associated with endlessly scrolling news feeds and other social media sites.
Your Challenge This Week:
Dedicate at least five minutes each day to stillness. Find a quiet space, close your eyes, and simply observe. Notice how your mind reacts and allow yourself to settle into the moment. Over time, you may find that stillness becomes something you crave rather than avoid, because it helps you tune into and then act more consistently with who you genuinely wish to be.
If you’d like to explore this topic or any of The 3 Life Questions in more depth, schedule a no-obligation, 30-minute conversation here: https://calendar.the3lifequestions.com/lets-get-to-know-one-another.