A Moment of Silence
Imagine waking up, taking a deep breath in and out, silencing any thoughts or distractions, and being present to yourself and the power within you. Imagine taking a moment to connect with yourself, a moment of silence to honor the day before you. Some may call it praying, some may call it being mindful – Whatever you call it, try it and see if you experience any shift of energy as you go about your day. Worth a try, I guess?
Some say a moment of silence lasts one minute. Imagine using one minute of the 1440 minutes in our day to silence your mind, connect to yourself and assist in improving your mental, emotional and possibly spiritual well being. Now, that sounds powerful.
The impact of mindfulness on our well-being is being studied more and more these days. According to Very Well Mind, mindfulness can reduce depression, help us become more aware and accepting of our thoughts, and can be helpful for soothing feelings of anxiety and stress. They continued on to show a 2016 study that concluded that mindfulness was both a simple and cost-effective way to reduce negative emotions, stress, and anxiety. So if you are looking for a way to introduce a time-effective, cost-effective, and calm-inducing strategy into your life, mindfulness may be the thing for you.
According to the Polyvagal Theory, when we use deep breathing and mindfulness, we are able to access the “ventral vagal state”. This allows us to be present, access internal resources, communicate well and feel connected, be engaged, curious, at ease, passionate and grounded, which increases digestion, immune response, a sense of rest, oxytocin, and the ability to connect and be open to learn.”
There are a bunch of apps out there nowadays that try to assist with this very intention. Some examples of these apps include Headspace and Calm. There’s a ton of pressure in today’s society to show up put together and ready to take on the world, although most of us don’t always feel it. Taking space and time for yourself means connecting with your true power and source of strength, which increases your ability to be present with yourself, with others and with whatever demands meet you throughout your day. What does silence feel like to you? Is it a peaceful pause? Is it a stressful terror of frantically seeking another to save you? Taking a moment to yourself can recharge you and assist you in intentionally facing your day. Check out this website for a more in-depth analysis of the topic.