Today is Sunday and a great day to decompress. The flurry of the holiday season is behind us, and many of us are probably feeling a bit tired. The quote I’m sharing today is from William Penn, founder of my home state of Pennsylvania. He said, “True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.”
Before launching back into the regular work/school schedule, today’s task is to take a bit of time to be silent. Put the phone away, turn off the computer, turn down the music, and let your mind rest in silence. This might feel awkward, but it can be surprisingly refreshing. Try to find a comfortable, quiet spot and see how long you can last. It might be 5 minutes; it might be 15.
This is an opportunity to let your mind rest from stimulation. You might enjoy doing some slow, deep breathing. Some may find it helpful to kneel or lie face up. This time should have neither an agenda nor a focus. Simply let your thoughts wander like a child lying back carefree on the grass, staring at the clouds.
If anything comes to mind during this time that you want to remember, capture it in a journal or on a notepad. Then relax again until you feel ready to move on.
While this is a task for today, you may find that you quite enjoy a bit of silence and want to incorporate a few minutes like this into your regular schedule.
When was the last time you sat alone in silence?
I think parents will be rejoicing in the silence once the kiddos go back to school tomorrow – myself included!
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I remember that feeling! Cold weather arriving and silence in the house – sounds like a good day for you! 🙂
So true. I did just that today for about a half hour. Refreshing!
Half an hour is terrific, Dianne!
In recent years, especially the past 21 months, I find daily silence a necessity to my health and well-being.
Couldn’t agree more, Jan! Silence really does have an amazing power to restore and refresh us. I believe we were created for periods of silence. Not everyone “enjoys” the silence, but a few minutes a day or each week can really help us to stay calm and centered.
I’m not great at it, and it’s really hard in a busy household, but I did it last night! I just sat on the couch in our bedroom and closed my eyes. The kids discovered me and thought I was sleeping, but I wasn’t! Just being alone for a bit.
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Finding a place to be still and silent with children is always a challenge. Until they become teenagers, at which point they are hoping you will go away and leave them alone LOL! I remember wanting to hide in the bathroom just so I could be at peace. I remember people suggesting I “get up early” to get some quiet time, but I was so exhausted that didn’t work either. My best solution was to let the family know that I needed quiet time (“Mommy time out”), and to make sure Dad was on call.