Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Speaker 1: Today's tip is to seek out silence. The world can
Speaker 1: be a noisy place, but by consciously removing ourselves from
Speaker 1: the noise, we can make space for deeper thinking and calm.
Speaker 1: Today's tip, like several this week, comes from Melissa Staginus's
Speaker 1: book every Day Mindfulness. This book features more than a
Speaker 1: hundred practical ways for building mindfulness into daily life. Melissa
Speaker 1: writes that separating yourself from the noise and routine of
Speaker 1: everyday life can seem like an impossible task, but it
Speaker 1: is certainly worth the effort. Immersing yourself in an environment
Speaker 1: where you can experience quiet and solitude is a sure
Speaker 1: fire way to find connection. Doing so in a natural
Speaker 1: setting can help you feel calm and grounded as you
Speaker 1: reconnect with your environment and yourself. Before, many of us
Speaker 1: could experience some quiet during a commute if we turned
Speaker 1: off the radio, if we worked from home, we could
Speaker 1: experience some quiet while the kids were at school. Then,
Speaker 1: of course, the pandemic transformed homes into a seven circus.
Speaker 1: Finding silence requires a bit more creativity. For instance, I
Speaker 1: was writing this episode in semi silence while the kids
Speaker 1: were outside. But then the five year old fell and
Speaker 1: ran screaming into the house, and while I was comforting him,
Speaker 1: the other kids started screaming about something else in the backyard.
Speaker 1: Then they came inside and somebody yelled for something else.
Speaker 1: Approximately every two minutes. Finding silence is hard, but it
Speaker 1: is not impossible. One reason I run most days is
Speaker 1: because it's an opportunity for silence. Of late, I've been
Speaker 1: seeking out trails from my runs so I hear a
Speaker 1: fewer cars. I don't listen to music. I love music,
Speaker 1: but sometimes I need silence more. Birds in the wind
Speaker 1: aren't technically silence, but they're a good sort of noise.
Speaker 1: And even if you can't leave the house, you might
Speaker 1: be able to go in the backyard for a while
Speaker 1: while child naps or watches TV. Practice being still and
Speaker 1: silent for a few minutes, breathing deeply and observing your surroundings.
Speaker 1: Melissa rights. Or if all else fails, you can try
Speaker 1: noise canceling headphones or a white noise machine, or try
Speaker 1: to get up a few minutes before the rest of
Speaker 1: the household and enjoy that first cup of coffee with
Speaker 1: a few moments of blessed calm. Noise can follow us everywhere.
Speaker 1: Sometimes we hardly notice it, but when we seek out silence,
Speaker 1: we can it is the absence of noise, and pay
Speaker 1: attention to our own breath or even our heartbeats if
Speaker 1: we are still enough. It's an incredible way to connect
Speaker 1: to the moment and to feel more hushed and less
Speaker 1: rushed in the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening,
Speaker 1: and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,
Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod.
Speaker 1: That's b the number four, then Breakfast p o D.
Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: podcast at iHeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast is
Speaker 1: spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I
Speaker 1: look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a
Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from I
Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.