*

*
******Behind the Moon BEADWORKS is proud to announce that a portion of proceeds from all purchases will now be donated to support the K-Love radio ministries! Thank you for your support!******

Monday, March 4, 2013

Silence and Solitude


 This past week or so I've been discovering the benefits of silence and solitude.  
It can be a rare and treasured thing for moms ;)
About a week ago I hit a low point.  Many of you know I have been dealing with 
some health issues lately but it extends beyond that.  
I realized that I have become a very "distracted" person.  
I say that meaning that nothing seems to have my full focus and attention.  
My thoughts are always churning yet I'm constantly forgetting things.
 I have forgotten how to quiet my mind.
It feels like there is constant demand for my attention and
I crave stillness and respite.
Designating some time to enjoy silence and solitude has become 
a blaringly evident necessity for me.
There's all sorts of "noise" we face every day...
from literal noise, to visual noise to, mental noise...
we need to take a break from it all on occasion.


So what are some ways you can embrace silence and solitude?

These days electronics rule. 
Turn off the radio, TV, iphone, or whatever your electronic "vices" are. 
Find a room in your house where you can be alone for a bit.   
Take some deep breathes and let the silence wash over you.
You will feel lighter and calmer almost instantly.

Clutter can cause a lot of visual disturbance.
You're running late and trying to find your grocery list amongst all the
clutter on your counter...not only does it take you longer to find it 
but you'll probably end up frustrated by the task of having to root
through all that "stuff" as well.   
Find my tips on organizing and tidying up here and here.

Somewhat surprisingly, social media can create a lot of mental noise.
Turn it off and take a break.  All that input can overload your brain.
In all reality most posts are not life altering,
take a break and you can pick right back up when you are feeling a bit more refreshed.


There are several benefits to enjoying daily silence and solitude.

* Promotes Inner Peace ~ Be aware of nothing but the sound of your own breathing.
* Promotes Self-discovery ~ Often your inner voice gets drowned out by all the external chatter.  
Silence can be a way of allowing your inner voice to be heard.
* Energizes you ~ Eliminates all the excess stimuli you receive at every moment.
* Boosts Creativity ~ Engages the "non-thinking" mind.
* Brings Focus and Mental Clarity ~ Your brain is automatically pre-programmed
 to investigate every incoming stimulus, which can make it quite easy to be distracted.
Silence eliminates the distractions.

These have certainly proved true in the past week.
I find I am more focused and becoming more relaxed in general.
I think Hubsy and the boys will also appreciate me being
a little less crazy all the time ;)
 
Do you take time out to be alone and enjoy the silence?
What are some of the ways you seek solace?


*Contributing thoughts found here.

5 comments:

  1. Oh Krista. You spoke directly to me. See, as I know you know, social media is a big part of my life. I wish it weren't so. I actually wish I could delete facebook. And technically I can. I really feel like facebook has taken over too much of my life. My "friends" on there really aren't my friends, and I miss the days where people would call me to check up on me instead of log onto facebook to see how I am doing. Still...I can not bring myself to delete it. I hope one day SOON I can. Maybe I shouldn't wait for the day...maybe I should just do it.

    I usually always have the tv on for background noise. I use to hate a quiet house. Lately I've turned it off and it's so nice and refreshing.

    My head is always full of thoughts too...what I need to do, what I want to do, what can I do...I definitely think I need to "de-clutter" my mind.

    Sorry for my novel of a comment, haha.

    Thank you for this post. :) I hope everything else is going well with you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I definitely can use this post as things start to get hectic right now with wedding plans and finances... whew, sometimes I just need to breathe...or take yoga! I'm going to keep those benefits to keep in my back pocket to keep me sane!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great post! Love this! Sometimes we forget that "silence is golden."
    I hope you're feeling better! Have a wonderful week! :]

    ReplyDelete
  4. Seeing all these beautiful pictures calms me right away . . . . now if I could only find that grocery list.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love this post! Many times we forget that we need some down time to regroup and give our brain a rest!!

    xxS

    ReplyDelete

Pin It

Related Posts with Thumbnails