Mental Health – The Power and use of Silence

There’s something unique about being up during the night or early morning when no one else is. It can be bad for me if I don’t maintain control of my mind but if I’m involved in something I can do some of my best work. Silence can allow one to hear what often cannot be heard any other time. Silence can be beautiful, thought provoking, calming…but it can also be scary. I have a history of running from quiet; keeping busy in order to leave no room for painful thoughts. I think I might be missing the side of silence that fosters insight and reflection. Such a place of stillness and calm can be a wonderful ‘space’ within which to grow creativity.

I think we frequently avoid silence and/or don’t experience its full positive potential. Quiet can be difficult to come by. We’re surrounded by sound and we even avoid silence in conversation for fear of awkwardness. Without times of silence perhaps it’s no wonder that we can become stressed. We’re often thinking of where we need to be and what we need to do but maybe in permitting ourselves these moments we free ourselves from the rush of life. (At least for a short while.) I don’t want to rush my life and perhaps embracing silence can allow me to fully exist and be present in the moment.

I imagine that working with the serenity of quiet is part of what makes meditation/mindfulness so beneficial. That doesn’t mean I think it’s easy but I do believe that it’s a tool we should all consider using. In other words maybe silence is underrated and it’s difficult to be alone with ourselves. If this is the case it’s possibly one of the reasons we can lose touch with ourselves and forget who we are and what we can do when we’re not running.

It seems to me like we’re almost always running; from what and to where? Well, only we can answer that for ourselves and I would say that it’s an important step towards mental health. Being secure with ourselves in silence can help develop our self-mastery and awareness. In other words I recommend that we make silence a friend instead of fearing and avoiding it. I think it’s a gateway of opportunity, disguised by its very own nature of emptiness.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!