The Power of Stillness and Silence

When living life day-to-day, it is easy to get caught up in responsibilities and the busyness of the world. Sometimes it is necessary to sit still and give yourself a moment of peace. The practice of meditation and mindfulness is often overlooked. People dismiss its effectiveness because they don’t make time for it, they get intimidated when they realize it is actually difficult to practice, or they think it’s silly. But taking even 10 minutes each day to sit in stillness and silence, and learning to find comfort in it, can reduce stress, irritability, and negative emotions (Haidt, 2024).

            Due to our reliance on technology, our ability to sit in silence without the temptations of distractions has diminished. We can’t get through a conversation with a friend or family member without a notification pinging on our phone, interrupting our mind’s focus on what is being said. We can’t sit in silence with ourselves for more than just a few moments without starting to feel bored or ‘under-stimulated’, as some younger generations may express it. Screens have taken over our lives and made it nearly impossible for us to live in the present and prioritize spiritual growth. 

            Your mind is like a muscle: it can be trained, and it can be repaired. Evidence of the effects of meditation, and how it can alter your mind and ways of experiencing the world, can be seen in extremes when looking at Buddhist monks. Their intense meditation practices are shown to alter their brain in lasting ways, physically decreasing activation in brain areas related to fear and negative emotion (Haidt, 2024). I urge you to begin implementing mindfulness meditation into your daily life. Whether it is sitting outside listening to the sounds of nature while focusing on your breath, or following along to a guided meditation YouTube video, you will notice an increased sense of calmness in your everyday life, even when faced with adversity. Take the time, put down your phone, and ground yourself with the present, physical life you are blessed to be living.

            If you would like to learn more about how to implement mindfulness meditation in your life or how to prioritize your spiritual growth, please reach out to us at Olive Branch Counseling Associates! Our professional therapists are very skilled in all areas of mental health and provide a variety of services both via telehealth calls and in-person at our office located at 6819—167^th St. in Tinley Park, Illinois 60477. Call us today at 708-633-8000 to book your appointment!

Myleigh, undergrad intern, 2025

Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc.

Reference:

Haidt, J. (2024). The anxious generation: How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an

            epidemic of mental illness. Penguin Random House.