The melody of silence fills the air, like the melody of the violins, fill the opera house.

A vacuum of noise is hard to come by. No notification bells, harsh lights, or work-related thoughts occupy the mind. Only complete peace and stillness exist.

In today’s hustle culture, where busyness is a badge of honor, it’s hard to break free and smell the roses. Society has trained people that laziness, boredom, and afternoon siestas are signs of failure. While people see resting as a hindrance, they view constant work as a positive trait. However, this very notion that working leads to success might be the cause of our downfall.

Occasional boredom is necessary for cognitive function. When the brain is not focusing on the task at hand, it starts to wander and make new connections. When neurons get a chance to take a stroll in the prefrontal cortex, they make intriguing discoveries and relations. The restless mind notices its environment in a new light and connects elements it hasn’t before. Creativity, after all, comes from a place free of structure.

The state of stillness is like a muscle. It must receive proper training and exercise. Spending 15 minutes a day to be alone and attune yourself to your life vision can bring great clarity, direction, and peace. So why don’t people do it more often? In today’s culture, people associate stillness with idleness, and idleness is associated with failure. Thus, the modern world has made it easy for people to escape, to avoid, and to distract themselves. Individuals readily engage with disturbances to escape their true inner selves. They hide behind the computer screen to escape facing their character’s flaws and understand the real truth about how they are feeling.

Stillness is so simple, yet so powerful. To retreat from a distraction-loving world, spend time alone. Journal, take a walk in nature, sit in silence, practice yoga, or take a few deep breaths.

The mind is capable of doing incredible things if you just let it be. When you let it marinate in its knowledge, it can come up with brilliant ideas and view life from the macro level. Schedule a time for doing nothing. Stillness is a practice, not an accident. Just try it and don’t worry about what others think.

References:

• Yin, S. (2020, April 17). Why ‘stillness’ is crucial for your brain during this pandemic. WHYY. Retrieved from whyy.org/segments/why-stillness-is-crucial-for-your-brain-during-this-pandemic/
• Wiest, B. (2014, November 19). The Importance Of Stillness: 8 Reasons It’s Psychologically Imperative To Make Time To Do Absolutely Nothing. Thought Catalog. Retrieved from thoughtcatalog.com/brianna-wiest/2014/11/the-importance-of-stillness-8-reasons-its-psychologically-imperative-to-make-time-to-do-absolutely-nothing/
• Flood, N. (2020, March 10). The importance of stillness. A Lust For Life – Irish Mental Health Charity in Ireland. Retrieved from alustforlife.com/tools/the-importance-of-stillness

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