Noise, Everywhere & All the Time
Noise. So much noise. Incessant, demanding, loud noise. People create overwhelming amounts of noise. Noise noise. Visual noise. Emotional noise. Energetic noise. Political noise. Marketing noise. Self-imposed noise. Noise everywhere, all the time, demanding attention.
I wake up. The voice inside my head starts immediately. The watch on my wrist wants to share all the health insights. My phone awaits with notifications from every which direction. I open my tablet to read a book, and Amazon wants to sell me another book. My phone rings and another scammer is trying to find a way to get what little money sits in my bank account (I rarely answer my phone these days). My kids request this new toy or that trendy whatever or more time in front of a screen. Trump seemingly constantly thanks me for my attention to a very important matter via social media. Even the noise that brings me joy, like music, podcasts, and my kids' laughter, feels like too much. Is anyone out there feeling me?
Today, I started the car. I turned off the radio and started to drive the kids to school. Arguing started in the back. I pulled the car into a neighborhood, parked it, sat silently, and waited for silence. When expectant silence came, I calmly announced that there would be no talking in the car the entire way to school. No requests, no music, no podcasts, nothing. Just silence. I started the car. We drove to school in silence. It was blissful.
All of the noise makes me want to 1) scream “SHUT UP” loudly into space, directed at no one in particular, and 2) run deep into the woods and be alone for a very long time. Of course, neither one of these is a realistic response, nor is driving to school in silence everyday. So, if I can’t do these things, what can I do about the overwhelming amount of noise demanding my constant attention?
Lately, I’ve started taking small steps to reduce it. Just like clutter in houses, it is possible to slowly start to reduce the level of noise inundating us. We can start to take back autonomy over our own attention. Bit by bit. My first action was to take a walk early in the morning, before sunrise, with no phone, no watch and no headphones. I walked in silence, listening instead to the calming drone of insects and the mesmerizing call of an owl. Although road noise was still audible, it was muted and the natural sounds of the Earth were on display in their immense beauty. My nervous system felt soothed. It’s a good first step, and I’m continuing a few of these walks a week.
Yesterday, I took off my Garmin watch, and I didn’t put it back on. I thought, “time for a break!” I walked without tracking myself. I went without phone notifications coming directly to my wrist. I slept without my sleep being measured, and I woke without an alarm vibrating on my wrist. Although I felt naked and like I was missing something important, I felt a sense of freedom that cannot be discounted. Without the watch, I can close my eyes, tune into my body and feel the state of my body. When I quiet the outside chatter, I can listen to inside wisdom. How do I feel? What do I need?
I’m not done reducing the noise. I’m only just beginning. I’ve got lots of ideas for my next moves, but I would love to hear from you. What is one step you can take today to reduce the noise in your own life? Leave me a comment, and let me know. I’d love the inspiration, and perhaps your idea might help someone else reading this blog today.
