How much down time do you have? What do you do in your downtime? When is the last time you sat and did nothing in quiet?
In our distraction-dominated culture, we are typically very good at avoiding quiet, reflective moments. Most people fill their downtime with something – errands, TV, tablets, phones. With others, we fill awkward silences with conversation. When alone, we check our phones obsessively, scrolling and liking for as long as we need to be distracted.
If you are thinking “that’s me, I do that”, don’t feel bad. You are not alone. A recent study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, found that people all over the world would rather to anything else than be alone with their thoughts.
Benefits of Doing Nothing
We have an ever increasing amount of input coming into our brains, so much so that we don’t have enough time to cognitively process that information. This is why websites and apps are now relying on predetermined responses (likes, emojis, upvoting, thumbs up) to make you feel like you are responding, without the need to actually take the time to synthesize the information and generate anything useful (a new perspective, taking action, changing your mind, doing something productive).
When we take the time to read and reflect, or just let our minds wander, we activate the “default mode network” of the brain. This default mode helps us make meaning out of our experiences, feel empathy towards others, be creative, and reflect on our mental and emotional states. The default mode occurs during rest and thinking, and is needed for optimal development and function of the brain.
Ever wonder why you may get lost in your thoughts in the shower and possible come up with solutions to problems? Insights, solutions and creative ideas have a greater chance of arising spontaneously when we are at rest, in a good mood, or when our minds are wandering. Shower thoughts are the real deal.
Some Super Stats About Silence
- 2 minutes of silence relieves tension in the body and brain; and is more relaxing than listening to music.
- Going for a walk has been shown to be helpful in solving tricky problems
- Silence can boost the immune system, lower blood pressure, and prevent plaques from forming on your arteries. It can also lower stress hormones
- Silence can also help increase creativity and self awareness
- Silence through meditation has been shown to have a multitude of benefits, and is not only effective in treating heart disease, depression and anxiety, but has also been shown to increase the development of new cells in the hippocampus, a key brain region associated with learning, memory and emotion
You Especially Need To Do More Nothing If You’re Having Trouble Sleeping
I commonly hear patients report that they have trouble sleeping because they are overthinking. Consider the amount of abundant stimuli and input coming in throughout your day, and that this time when you lie down to go to sleep may likely be the only time during your busy day that your brain has been able to have quiet and go into default mode. This may be the first and only time you allow your brain to process everything from your day.
I find that in these cases, scheduling in some reflecting time, quiet time, silent walks or meditation can do wonders to soothe an overactive mind before bed.
How To Do Nothing
Before you start, know two things: 1) This is a practice, don’t expect to be an expert right away, 2) expect it to feel uncomfortable, people the world over do not do well with silence. Push past that discomfort and find ways to make it work for you.
1. Do nothing. Be silent. You can sit, lie down, walk, etc. Allow yourself to: reflect, daydream, meditate, fantasize about the future, or just let your mind wander.
2. Schedule it and/or let it happen naturally. You could add in 30 mins of “Reflection” or “Daydreaming” time in your calendar. Or you could find small moments throughout your day where you let your mind wander a bit. Examples could include: take a few minutes when you sit down on the couch before turning on the TV; drive in silence and let yourself daydream; stay in bed an extra 5 minutes and let your mind meander.
3. Sit still and/or pair it with something. You could just sit still at home, at work or in nature. Or you could let your mind wander while doing something else, such as: going for a walk, meditating, deep breathing, stretching, pacing, walking up and down the stairs, eating, driving, sipping a cup of tea.
4. Tackle your phone addiction. Actively resist the temptation to look at your phone unless you absolutely need to. Put your phone out of reach. Don’t bring your phone to the dinner table, or on a walk. Turn off unnecessary notifications.
5. Know that you are in control. If you start to feel uncomfortable, you can choose the path of your thoughts. If your mind wanders to thinking about a strained family relationship, you can note that this is something you probably need to address but right now you’d prefer to think about something else, and let your mind wander in a different direction. You may then find yourself thinking about the dinner you will cook later, or a fantasy about a world in which this strained relationship was resolved.
