STOP YELLING…it’s quiet day.
today is the day to lower the noise level. it originally started as a day in the Anglican church to focus on special devotions, meditations, and instructions. in today’s technological society, it’s also the day to reduce the use of capital letters and punctuation.
…Not sure how I feel about the removal of caps and punctuation from our writing, but certainly, there are many benefits to lowering the environmental noise that we all experience and focusing on quieting our minds.
Noise and busy-ness surround us. Stress grows from the constant onslaught of daily stimulation. Studies done at the Franklin Institute on stress and the adrenal glands show that even low-level chronic noise increases aggression and decreases cooperation and is associated with increased risk for such serious physiological problems as peptic ulcers, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.
Quiet time helps the body relax and lowers blood pressure and heart rate. It allows the mind to focus and be more creative. It can boost your immune system and decrease the amount of pain that we feel. The results of one study published in Stroke showed that the accumulated fatty plaque on artery walls actually diminished in people who meditated 20 minutes twice a day.
Beverly’s Hot Tips For Celebrating Quiet Day:
- Try taking a quiet day retreat. According to the Retreat Association, these mini one-day retreats are a good introduction into longer retreats. During your quiet time you will be left on your own to read, walk and reflect in peaceful and comfortable surroundings.
- Practice progressive muscle relaxation: Done lying down, sequentially tense specific muscle groups for five seconds at a time, then relax them for 10 seconds.
- Breathe: Become aware of your breath and inhale and exhale slowly and deeply inhale for 5 minutes.
- Try tratak meditation: Turn off the lights, light a small candle and watch the flame. This stills the optic nerve, massages the ciliary reflex and stimulates the pineal gland, all of which calm the nervous system. Focus on it at least five minutes.
- Eat in silence: Mindful eating helps you enjoy your food more, prevents overeating because you are tuned in to your body’s satiety signals, and allows your body to metabolize food more efficiently.
- At work, take advantage of a quiet room. Many companies have developed quiet spaces where employees can take a moment or two during the working day to relax, have a break, meditate, pray or simply ‘take stock’ without the distractions and interruptions of office life.
- Get out into nature: Taking a walk along a park path or country road early in the morning or before bed can bring focus and serenity to one’s mind. There is nothing a peaceful as walking through our bush property on a snow, winter day.
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be.” Anne Frank
If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!
Additional Resources:
National Relaxation Day Infographic
Relaxation Day Article
Relaxation Day Article
Music As Medicine – Relaxing To The Beat
National Take Back Your Time Week
