I had no idea what to write this week.
Honestly, at the point of writing this sentence, I still have no idea what this article is going to turn into.
I had a much busier weekend than usual, and had hardly any time to myself.
Don’t get me wrong, I had a wonderful time – wine, beach, sun, coffee & copious amounts of food.
But I’m starting to realise just how important space and solitude can be, especially when it comes to creation.
Silence seems so unremarkable, until you start to miss it.
And boy did I miss it this weekend.
Maybe that’s what I’ll write about this week… how cool silence is.
Okay, let’s do it.
The Best Ideas Come In Solitude
“Sit in silence, and you will hear the whispers of the universe.”
No idea
Do you think it’s a coincidence that our best ideas come in the shower, or when out walking in nature?
Of course not.
Our brains function best when they’re given space.
It’s like mother nature has some sort of in-built process that gives creation and life back to us when we visit her.
Almost like we’re one (because we are, we’ve just somehow forgotten it lol).
Last year I spent 5 days away from any sort of stimulation on a silent meditation retreat.
It was the hardest experience of my life, but my brain was working in ways I couldn’t quite believe.
I was so unstimulated that even the most basic tasks were exciting.
Warm showers felt like a hug from God.
Sitting down and staring out a window whilst eating my two pieces of fruit for dinner somehow ignited all of my senses.
Taking this time away from screens and stimulation physically and mentally hurt me.
Like it was genuinely painful to sit and be bored.
I think that tells us a lot about the world we’re living in these days, not that we don’t already know it.
It also made me realise that a lot of the answers I’m looking for in life are already inside me, I just never really give them the time or space to be found.
It’s so easy to think that adding something to your life can be the solution, but I think it’s almost always the opposite.
Taking things out of your life, single-tasking, doing less, giving yourself that space and silence, will almost always yield greater results.
And the greats knew that.
Silence Is A Necessity
They say distance makes the heart grow fonder.
But I also think it’s true that silence and solitude makes the mind grow stronger.
Nietzsche, Steve Jobs, J. K. Rowling, Henry David Thoreau, Da Vinci – they all knew this.
Nietzsche sought solitude in the Swiss Alps, where he spent months writing alone.
Jobs would often go on long, solitary walks to reflect, think through ideas, and make major decisions at Apple and Pixar.
Rowling wrote most of Harry Potter in isolation at cafés, Da Vinci would isolate himself for hours to study anatomy and the natural world, and Thoreau spent time alone in a cabin, immersing himself in nature and writing about simplicity and solitude.
I don’t think this was because they wanted to, but more because they needed to.
It’s so difficult to understand your mind, and the world around you, if you never allow yourself to spend time with either of them.
Distractions are just too damn powerful these days.
Our attention span is a valuable currency, and the tech giants know how to seize it – they’re literally investing billions to do so.
Our monkey brains haven’t developed the ability to live with these distractions, and they probably never will.
Sometimes the only way to deal with them is to cut them off completely.
I only just started using Instagram again recently, and although I’m using it in a much healthier way than before, I still catch myself randomly scrolling through mind-numbing reels.
Even with the best intentions, it’s so easy to fall into the trap.
Time spent in solitude is so important for our growth and mental wellbeing, but when it’s filled with distractions it can be detrimental (from personal experience).
I’m still working on the solution for all of this, and it sucks because I think the answer is the same in almost every aspect of life.
Balance Is The Answer, Unfortunately
It’s all about balance.
You know, balance, that thing we all suck at attaining.
I’ve tried cutting myself off from all distractions, and it just doesn’t work.
Feels good initially, but the cravings just start to cloud your thinking.
I’ve also tried allowing myself to just live freely and indulge in whatever I want, but I’m sure you know that doesn’t work either.
So I think the answer is this…
Short, forced periods of isolation and boredom throughout the week.
The bar is low these days, so maybe that’s just a long walk without headphones.
A drive to work without any music playing.
Or eating dinner without watching anything (gross).
And maybe the second step is accepting that there may be times when overindulgence just… happens.
Where you have a weekend filled with good distractions and no time to think.
Where you sit down with the intention to start writing and nothing comes out because your mind is so full and overstimulated.
Maybe that’s balance, too.
And if there’s any benefit to being so overstimulated in the modern world, I guess it’s this…
We don’t actually have to do much to start feeling better.
Isn’t that nice?
