Finding Peace in a Noisy World

The importance of quiet time for grounding and gaining perspective

The Pink Cloud, Antibes by Paul Signac, 1916, via the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

"In the silence of listening, you can know yourself in everyone, the unseen singing softly to itself and to you." - Rachel Naomi Remen.

Do you agree that we live in a time when noise prevails, and it often feels like everyone is running late or catching up? Where everything seems to move faster and the day has less than 24 hours? Has the cultural slogan “the city that never sleeps” outgrown New York City to become “the world that never sleeps”? Has globalization and technology, particularly in the era of mobiles, social media, and generative AI, accelerated the pace of living and reduced times for quiet solitude and reflection?

Three years ago, I started to use white noise to neutralize outside distractions and help put my baby to sleep. Albeit the repetitive sounds are relaxing and even meditative—ocean waves, heavy rain, or Amazonian forests—all these sounds in an endless loop become background noise. It's paradoxical to use noise to neutralize noise.

It often seems impossible to find a quiet moment in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. We are constantly tied up in social commitments and work duties or bombarded by noise from our phones, TVs, and the outside world. And if you have children… oh, well, you know.

I get up in the middle of the night most weekdays to have some quiet time, meditate, and write. These are the moments to review my daily notes, produce content for current projects, edit, and write these newsletters.

But most importantly, these are my quiet times to review, clarify, reevaluate, rethink, and refocus. I need this space to look inside, align myself, and get the right perspective. It’s one of the ways I use to gain inner peace.

Quiet time is necessary to process and reflect on what you are learning every day.

When you give yourself permission to unplug from the constant stream of information, you create a space for your mind to slow down and focus. This is an opportunity to check in with yourself and with your emotions, to acknowledge what you are feeling and why.

When you take the time to sit quietly with yourself, you can gain insight into your thought processes and behaviors.

Additionally, quiet time can be a valuable tool for managing stress and anxiety. When you are constantly stimulated by external stimuli, it can be difficult for your mind to relax and unwind. But by carving out even just a few minutes each day for quiet reflection, you can learn to let go of the stresses of today and find a sense of calm.

When I can’t find these quiet times for self-reflection and grounding, I may get anxious, which in turn gives me access to negative thoughts and may even affect my mood.

Think about what practice works best for you. Maybe it's a morning walk, meditation, exercise, yoga, driving around, hiking, or simply sitting quietly with a cup of tea or coffee. Whatever it is, try to make it a habit so you may also experience the profound effects on your mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Finding inner peace is a topic that is both rich and deep and requires discipline and devotion, like most spiritual practices. But every bit adds up. This post is a bird’s eye view. If you want more thoughts and actionable ideas on this topic, let me know in the comments below or click the like button.

And remember, next time you feel overwhelmed by the noise of the world, take a deep breath and give yourself permission to step back and find some peace and quiet. Your mind and body will thank you for the opportunity of renewing itself.

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