I’ve got a crazy idea for you.
If your life seems overly demanding right now, consider adding a period of complete silence.
It’s crazy, and super counter-cultural, but hear me out.
I know that you give all you’ve got to the people and causes in your life. It’s one of the things we appreciate about you most.
I also know that giving continually without refilling your own joy bucket can put you at risk for burnout.
(Actually, you can find out if you’re headed for burnout by taking my quiz. Share it on your social media and help the people you care about!).
One unusual way to refill your joy bucket is choosing to enter into a period of silence.
Ask me how I know.
Here’s the short version: Not long ago, I felt like the world was so loud, I was going to snap. Yep. The demands of life caught up to me and all I could think about was getting away. A private place with no sound was super appealing to me, but leaving town was out of the question. So, I talked to my family and got them on board with the idea of allowing me to have 24 hours of silence at home. I wanted to hear my own thoughts, and to hear God’s thoughts, in prayer.
I felt like it would be really helpful to commit to zero:
- conversation
- reading
- screens of any kind
- music
- basically no input
The hardest parts were:
- Have we met? I love activity and conversation. The first hour felt like 4. I didn’t know if I would make it to the 2nd hour.
- Not looking at my social media at all. What would I miss?
- Not being able to call my dog (I ended up cheating… my family was great but it was hard to get Molly on board).
- When my husband got home at the 8-hour point. I was really in a groove with it, but he wasn’t, and felt like he was getting the silent treatment.
- Not being able to put music on, especially when there were lyrics I didn’t like going through my head on repeat and I really wanted to replace them.
- Sitting at the table alone and eating in complete silence… no conversation, no email, no music.
The best parts were:
- Tuning into the little things again: The reflection of the trees in the water, the feel of the breeze, the many shades of green on the new spring leaves, the softness of my dog’s fur, the feel of my own breathing, the rhythm of my heartbeat… it was wonderful.
- The running conversation I had with God in my head the entire time and praying big time for people I care about (let me tell you, y’all were prayed for!)
- The urge I suddenly had to declutter the house and clean out my closet. That was fun!
- Taking Molly to the park for a rip-roaring game of silent ball (happy dog pic above).
- Realizing my 3-day headache had broken: Yay!
- The peace I felt as I went to bed that night. There was no to-do list going through my head.
- When my daughter called at the 23-hour mark and I knew talking to her was more important than making it 24 hours… I had acquired what I set out to acquire: Peace and joy.
Yes, I love commotion, but silence was a winner. I’ll do it again… although it will probably only need to last a few hours. In fact, I might do it every week just to clear out the cobwebs and make space for what matters.
What about you… Does the idea appeal to you at all?
If so, here are some things to consider:
- Would you have to go a full 24 hours?
- Should you go longer?
- Would you need to leave home first?
- Would one hour of silence in the car be enough?
- Is this a conversation thing, a screen thing, a combination, or something else?
- Are there any other people you’d need to enroll in the idea?
Only you know for sure.
My suggestion: Check in with yourself. What does your heart say? Honor it.
You just might find that a little quiet will give you a much-needed joy boost.
It feels good to feel good. #Feelgood.
PS: Don’t forget to take the burnout quiz.
With lots of love,
Robin & Molly
Joy To The World Coaching