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Quiet Time
Time out is important for grown-ups too.
This world is bananas! We receive more input every day than our ancestors did in a lifetime. Our days are jammed with the cacophony of our technology that follows us around everywhere we go. It’s a rough place out there.
That’s why a while ago I decided to turn it all off, at least for a few moments. And I have been shocked at the rewards.
I take quiet time every day.
I silence the phone, turn off the television and my computer. Then I snuggle in somewhere cozy. (It is best to think like a cat when choosing your spot.) And I lay down.
The crazier I feel, the more anxious and worked up, the more I need to slow down. My brain will try to convince me I don’t have the time, or that I am being lazy. But the truth is I need to make the time. Quiet time is important.
I relax. I tell myself it is ok. I am allowed to do this. I breathe in and out. I repeat a little mantra, “This is a quiet time.” And for a while I just am.
You can call it meditation, I suppose. Though for me it is simpler and more accessible than that. Sometimes it turns into a nap. Sometimes I lay there and allow ideas for work projects jettison through my head. The important part is I allow my body and brain to do what they need to do. I surrender.
