Sometime ago, my husband was at work and my daughter was at school. I was working from home and all was quiet. In my office and it was so peaceful, the nothing but the sound of the click and whirr of the heater beside me, the slow roar of cars outside, the clock on my desk ticking rhythmically and the tippity tap of the keyboard as I typed these words.
I was very aware of the sounds around me as I planned a writing for relaxation workshop on the theme of peace and quiet, it was a bright wintery day and I was very content in my own space. As I researched I read a book called “The Little Book of Quiet – Finding a Mindful Balance” edited by Tiddy Rowan. It’s been quite a revelation and I’ve learnt some things about myself that I didn’t quite realise before, that I am an introvert. I notice how calm, relaxed, and grounded I am when I have had time to be alone with my thoughts, writing, working, planning, seeking solace in solitude, not everyone likes solitude but we can all benefit from a time of peace and quiet.
As Tiddy writes “our lives, our world is becoming noisier while quietness is being eroded, our offices and homes getting louder as we fill our lives with more machinery and electronics we are bombarded by noise from traffic, machinery, building work, air traffic, mobile phones, computers and gadget, and what we hear affects our stress levels… often we are seeking ways of achieving a quieter life through mindfulness and other stress reducing practices”
As I wrote I consulted the world of social media for their ways of finding peace and quiet in a busy world. Here is what people came up with….thank you so much for sharing your thoughts…
It seemed there was a general consensus for being outside…
“I go outside and garden”
“Grey purring cats”
“Water, rivers, waterfalls and walking”
“A 5am walk in the wilderness with my dog”
“Dog walking…if you always go the same way you notice how the seasons change and it helps make sense of the little things in life being part of the bigger picture”
“Running – all I can think about is breathing!”
“I head to my greenhouse and talk to my plants”
“Watching people whilst sat in a coffee shop”
“Being in nature”
“Standing in a Scottish field with my red mare, I look at the trees and breathe the air and let everything go…no matter what is going on in my life I find quiet every morning in that field”
“In the corner with a book”
“In my busy university studio I put my headphones and play music – so the rest of the room disappears and I create my own space”
“I shut myself away in my studio and paint”
“Yoga and meditation”
“A nice warm bath with bubbles”
“A bike ride in the meadows”
“Sitting on the bed with a good book”
“I sit in a café whilst my boys are at their club, it is busy and loud but I study and it is peaceful and quiet in my head”
Tiddy suggests getting up half an hour earlier to find yourself a moment of quiet before a busy day and form a new habit, no emails or call or making lists, just walking, yoga, jogging or mindfulness, or as I like to do – perhaps spend some time writing out your thoughts so you are fresh for the day ahead. During times of quiet this writing can help unclutter your mind and let go of unwanted thoughts or help clarify them in your head.
Before I go I’d like to leave you with this quote taken from Walden by Henry David Thoreau and his thoughts on Solitude.
“Some of my pleasantest hours were during the long rain storms in the spring or fall which confined me to the house for the afternoon as well as the forenoon soothed by their ceaseless roar and pelting, when an early twilight ushered in a long evening in which many thoughts had time to take root and unfold themselves”
I hope you have your own way to finding some peace and quiet.