Perform an audit to identify all unwanted distractions (auditory, informational, internal thoughts) and assess how they make you feel, as this is a crucial first step to addressing noise in your life.
Pay attention to physical and emotional signs like irritability, jaw tightness, trouble breathing, panic attacks, relational tension, or a feeling of contraction, as these indicate you are saturated by noise and need more quiet.
Actively value and cultivate ‘pristine human attention’ and quiet time, recognizing it leads to a deeper, more sustainable happiness (eudaimonia) compared to a contracted, dopamine-rush state.
Understand silence as the absence of claims on your consciousness and interference with clear perception and intention, then actively seek this expanded state of being.
Recognize what aspects of noise control are within your influence, even in highly constrained circumstances, to find and leverage small moments of silence and quiet time.
Within your sphere of influence, proactively look for and implement opportunities to decrease mental clamor and unwanted noise in your daily life.
Reduce informational noise by setting digital boundaries, such as removing the email app from your phone for certain hours, to decrease constant claims on your consciousness.
Actively reduce the noise you create for others by asking a ’truth teller’ about your habits and committing to lessening them, especially in shared environments.
Substitute old habits (like smoking breaks) with healthier ‘quiet breaks’ to intentionally interrupt constant work and flow, allowing for moments of pause and reflection.
Shift your perspective on unexpected pauses or inconveniences (e.g., music stopping, waiting in line) from burdens to ’little gifts’ or ‘pockets of silence’ to be cherished.
Incorporate Nada Yoga by stepping into a quiet room or outside and actively listening to nothing in particular, which is edifying for the brain and helps reset the nervous system.
Actively engage in trying to ‘hear in silence’ to stimulate brain activity and promote neural development, particularly in the hippocampus, which is associated with memory.
Engage deeply in activities that induce ‘flow states,’ where full attention on the task leaves no room for self-referential thought, leading to an enjoyable experience of internal quiet.
Integrate silence into daily routines by slowing down activities (e.g., making coffee) by 10% and bringing more focused attention to them, finding quiet within the action itself.
Cultivate inner quiet by connecting with nature daily; observe something larger (e.g., a towering tree, stars) and something smaller (e.g., a blossom, ants) to produce quiet inside.
Regularly seek out and visit physical environments that inherently provide a sense of calm and quiet, fostering a more peaceful state of mind.
When noise occurs, greet it with grace, notice what’s arising, and even add humor; when it stops, celebrate its passing with gratitude to improve your response to unavoidable distractions.
Reduce the impact of external noise by consciously quieting your internal reactions and responses to it, thereby gaining control over your inner state.
Consciously practice letting go of internal noise (worrying, fixating, ruminating) even when external noise is overwhelming, as internal and external noise can form a feedback loop.
Embrace silence as an act of humility, letting go of the need to constantly fill space or protect your reputation, allowing mental reflexes to rest.
If current circumstances make actively reducing noise difficult, practice befriending the noise, treating it with grace, or simply letting it be without resistance.