This is a subject that has really smacked me in the face lately!
During my now infamous trip to Barcelona I discovered that I personally need quiet time. My life is pretty noisy most of the time (I mean who’s isn’t when you have kids!!!) but I hadn’t really fully appreciated the need I have for REGULAR peace and quiet!
And this got me thinking…..
How important is quiet time and do we all need it (even our kids!)!?
My son is coming up to age 10 and after running a recent hair test, I discovered he is actually very stressed! Now as you can imagine he eats a very good diet, drinks plenty of water, gets to bed on time and exercises BUT despite all this he is under stress – or his body is reacting as if he is under attack!
Children today have so much going on, don’t they!?
They seem to have tests every other week. There seem to be more and more children in the class with behavioural issues. Classes are bigger, school are often bigger and relationships at Primary school seem to be a whole load more temperamental than I remember!
And then we have to add in all the extra activities they do, and my son does a lot! Of course, he enjoys them all but something he recently said made me stop in my tracks…
I’d decided to take him for some craniosacral sessions with the wonderful Sarah Johnson at Cranio Kent. This is a therapy that I highly recommend for stress or emotional trauma and so when my son’s hair test showed a huge stress response it was my first port of call!
So, in his second session he said this:
“It is so nice to have a rest from the all the noise in my head”
Holy crap!!! This is a 9-year-old saying he needs some quiet time!
He told Sarah, “I have so much going on sometimes my brain gets too busy”
So, basically, he has too much noise!
We all have too much noise.
Everything is 24/7 these days. We are constantly exposed to vast amounts of information, stimulation overload and then we wonder why so many people get overwhelmed.
Quiet time is vital!
When we get quiet (and I mean really quiet; like sitting in total silence and breathing deeply or taking a walk in nature or doing a meditation) lots of amazing things happen in our bodies!
Our body needs quiet to process information, to make sense of everything to see and think CLEARLY! It is not coincidence that we get our greatest ideas or moments of clarity when we are quiet.
Our body needs to activate its calm side of the sympathetic nervous system. If you are always ‘doing’ then chances are you are running off the fight and flight side of your nervous system. This has so many consequences when it comes to our health.
Our body needs quiet to heal. Healing takes a lot of energy and resources but if you are on the go all the time then these resources and energy will be used for those more pressing activities.
Our body needs quiet for us to listen to the signals it gives us that things are unbalanced or not quite right. Listening to your body is an amazing tool to have and if you listen you will discover so many important snippets of information.
Our body needs quiet in order to prioritise and be organised. If you are constantly firefighting and running around at 100 miles an hour you cannot do this.
Our body needs quiet to establish what’s important! Being busy all the time can make you overlook the things that actually matter the most!
So, there you have it! Quiet time is absolutely vital for your health and wellbeing.
When was the last time you were quiet?
I talk a lot about this in my Get Back to You Course. This 6-week course, especially for busy Mums looks at all aspects of your health and wellbeing. The next course is starting in July. Why not take a peek at it now by clicking HERE!
Let me know what quiet time you are going to schedule in to your week! Comment below.
Wonderful post Julie. One of my Project WE members posted it in our private group and it’s led to agreement about how important this is. Here’s to more peace and quiet in all of our heads. X
I totally agree Julie. When my daughter was a baby I remember counting breaths when it was quiet, ie my baby wasn’t crying! I didn’t realise it then but it was the start of my journey towards meditation/mindfulness/appreciation of silence and quiet.
Dealing with post viral fatigue these last few months have renewed this in me, it really is so important to have peace and quiet as part of your day.
I have known this for a very long time but up until about a year ago wasn’t practising it! Our holidays are always filled with quietness, nature, walking, sitting and just looking. I took up meditation last year and have quiet time everyday sometimes twice a day. I look at children of friends and often think they are involved in too much activity. For some reason we have been brainwashed into thinking this is what we should be doing with our children so they grow up never knowing how do nothing and enjoy it. One of my favourite poems is by William Henry Davies called Leisure. Look it up as its a good philosophy for life.
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Wonderful post Julie. One of my Project WE members posted it in our private group and it’s led to agreement about how important this is. Here’s to more peace and quiet in all of our heads. X
Thank you Kelly x
I totally agree Julie. When my daughter was a baby I remember counting breaths when it was quiet, ie my baby wasn’t crying! I didn’t realise it then but it was the start of my journey towards meditation/mindfulness/appreciation of silence and quiet.
Dealing with post viral fatigue these last few months have renewed this in me, it really is so important to have peace and quiet as part of your day.
Yes indeed!!!
I have known this for a very long time but up until about a year ago wasn’t practising it! Our holidays are always filled with quietness, nature, walking, sitting and just looking. I took up meditation last year and have quiet time everyday sometimes twice a day. I look at children of friends and often think they are involved in too much activity. For some reason we have been brainwashed into thinking this is what we should be doing with our children so they grow up never knowing how do nothing and enjoy it. One of my favourite poems is by William Henry Davies called Leisure. Look it up as its a good philosophy for life.
Lovely poem 🙂