Why silence is good for your soul

I love this image of the jellyfish in the sea. It makes me think of the word “silence.”

And the moment I first realized what a wonderful gift silence is for a sensitive person like me.

I was on vacation in Hawaii and was going scuba diving for the first time.

To say I was nervous going into the sea, with all my diving gear on, is an understatement.

That is until I reached the sandy ocean bottom.

When I looked back up towards the surface — to the world “out there” — I was struck by how incredibly quiet it was “down here.”

How blissfully quiet.

And how calm that silence made me feel.

It was a magical moment.

One that’s stayed with me through the years.

As has my need to seek out quiet solitude whenever I’m feeling overstimulated.

Overwhelmed. Anxious.

Or off-balance.

When the noisy world starts to get to me, I know exactly what I need to do.

I turn off the TV, radio, phone and computer.

And I seek a quiet, peaceful space.

Like my room.

My outdoor garden.

Or a meditative walk in the forest. Or by the sea.

As an HSP (highly sensitive person) who grew up with a large, loud family and parents who fought regularly, I now understand how off-balance & dysregulated I can feel when there’s too much noise.

And how much I crave silence.

It calms my nervous system, my body and my spirit.

Silence helps me connect with my intuition.

My creativity.

And ultimately with my soul.

In a world where we’re encouraged to be productive all the time — to go, go, go and do, do, do — taking time out for quiet solitude can be difficult for us to do.

But the benefits are worth it.

Silence is one of the best gifts you can give yourself when you feel overwhelmed, depleted, or anxious.

Silence helps restore you.

It helps you re-connect to YOU.

To that still small voice within that’s trying to get your attention.

That’s trying to tell you what your soul really needs and wants, in order to be happy.

And to feel whole.

So if the idea of being in silence seems strange to you, I challenge you to give it a try.

For just a few moments today, try being in silence.

Try sitting or walking or even driving (no music, no news).

And see what happens.

Allow whatever comes to you, to come.

A word, a phrase, a feeling. A desire, or longing.

Maybe a need you’ve been ignoring.

Or perhaps just the pure pleasure of being in the space of silence.

For just a little while.

Before the world demands your attention. And gets noisy again.

But know that you can always come back to the silence.

It’ll be waiting for you.

Kerry xo