Embrace the Quiet: 8 Simple Ways for Busy Mama’s to Create Calm

I am a stay at home Mama and, some days, I have quite a few hours to myself. I usually spend my time doing chores while listening to podcasts or documentaries. I am continually learning, which is great, however, I feel there is even more knowledge and power in the quiet moments as well. When I listen to the podcasts and documentaries I am learning about the world around me and things that could affect me, but when I embrace the quiet moments, I am learning and understanding more ABOUT ME! 

“A quiet woman is at peace and about to change everything.” Unknown

I have always been a very quiet person on the outside, but on the inside, so much is going on. Through my quiet practices, I have become more self-aware and am able to notice now when my mind is racing and worrying. I catch myself and bring myself back in. I breathe deeply, I say the words in and out, in and out with each breath. Or I focus on the third eye chakra which helps me concentrate and collect. I am able to bring my awareness in, focus on my senses and live truly in the moment. 

Have you ever felt the connection in a quiet yet busy home? I love the feeling when we have all electronics off and everyone is quietly working on something. Even if we are not all working together, I feel connected to everyone in the home. We are more aware of our senses and we are a part, in a way, of what everyone else is doing as well. 

“The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” Rumi

The most beautiful music to my ears is listening to the sound of my children’s voices when they are working on something or playing peacefully together in a quiet home. Now, I have to use the word peacefully, because so many times, their play quickly turns into an argument over something! Ha! Ha! Regardless, these moments will allow them to grow and learn more about themselves and each other. Experiences you won’t get being in front of a noisy screen. 

8 Simple Ways to Create Calm

Here are 8 ways that I feel help most to achieve my quiet. I hope you all can put some of these practices to life in your home and that it helps you in some way.

Embrace the Quiet and allow more time to be with yourself in a comfortable environment. 

1. Meditate. Create a new habit and set aside time for your meditation practice. Start with once a day for 5-10 minutes. Try it first thing in the morning for a great start to the day or right before bed to prepare for a good night’s rest. Either way, make it a priority to embrace the quiet and create calm in your day. Once you have established this as part of your routine, slowly increase your meditation time increments and also see if you can meditate more than once a day. 

As I get more and more involved in my meditation practice, I become more aware and connected to my surroundings. I notice feelings and sounds that would have normally passed me by. This awareness allows for more gratitude and appreciation of life and this beautiful world we live in.

2. Exercise. Yoga, running, biking, etc., whatever gives you a sense of calm and quiet. Yoga is a very quiet practice that I love. I also love to jog outdoors. I do not bring headphones of any kind. I like to connect with the world that surrounds me and tune into my body and how I am feeling. A nice walk outside just may be the trick.

3. Live minimally. The less clutter and things you have, the less you have to pick up, clean and organize. Which will, in turn, create more time for you to embrace the quiet moments and do what you love. You will also gain more quality time to spend with your family. 

I am working on this big-time right now! I can not wait for the time when my mind doesn’t have to think about all the stuff! The stuff I have to go through, the stuff I have to get rid of, or the stuff I have to organize. 

4. Disconnect. Step away from and turn off all electronic devices: phones, laptops, televisions, etc. It is easy to notice the attachment we have to these devices when we consciously put them away. Is it hard for you to stay away? 

Start by turning all electronics off for short periods of time and increase from there. You will be more productive if you refrain from looking at your phone for the first hour of the day and you will sleep better if you turn your phone off an hour before bed. You will be surprised as to how quickly time goes by and how much you will enjoy these quiet moments. It just feels good. 

5. Gardening. Gardening brings us out into nature and in connection with the soil and the earth that provides for us. It is so gratifying to plant seeds, water the sprouts and watch them grow into the beautiful food and beauty that nature provides. Embrace the quiet when you are gardening and absorb all the sights, sounds and feelings nature has to offer. 

Do you want to learn more about connecting with nature? Click here to see what nature can do for you.

6. Cooking. This one may sound a bit out of the ordinary, but creating a meal and cooking for your family in silence can keep you in touch with your intention of feeding yourself and your family a meal from the heart and a meal packed with nutrition. I call it mindful cooking. 🙂 You will never get that from your local fast food joint! Make sure to eat and enjoy this food with quiet intention as well.

7. Light the home with candles. Create a sense of calm and peace by using only candlelight in the home. Make a traditional family night during the winter months where you eat dinner, read books and play games all by candlelight. Another beautiful way to connect with your family and loved ones during this season of shorter days and longer nights.

8. Reading, journaling, quilting, knitting. Make time for your hobbies. This last section is all up to your personal preference and what it is you like to do. I have to admit that I have not given myself enough time to read many books in the past few years just for pure enjoyment. I am always at the library with my kids and I am continually checking out books, but they are more for education than fictional enjoyment. 

That is, until last summer, I read 7 books and it felt great! I read two of the books when I was on vacation in Italy. I had some time away from sightseeing and I took full advantage of it to sit and read a book, or two!. I opened the shutters that overlooked a beautiful winery, I took in all the sounds from nature (birds chirping, a slight breeze blowing through the trees) and I read my book. It was such a wonderful and relaxing experience. 

Now, I was on vacation so I didn’t have as many worries at the time, but I continued my reading after I got home. I created the time for it even with the busy family schedules and I have been able to create a bit more quiet into my day because of it.

Benefits of Quiet

“The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.” Albert Einstein

Embrace the quiet and discover what positive changes you can make in your life. These positive changes may include the following.

• Quiet time with yourself can provide an opportunity for self-awareness. This allows for a more focused mind while living in the present moment.

• Self-awareness and reflection can help you learn more about yourself, increase your happiness, help with problem-solving, and help you make better decisions.

• Increase gratitude for yourself, others and the world.

• Increase productivity.

• Allow for more creativity. 

• Improve sleep quality. 

• Improve concentration, memory, and learning.

Supporting Research

It’s all about balance. Make it a priority to carve out multiple times during your busy hectic day for a quick relaxing quiet break. Studies have shown that even a short 2-minute break could reduce stress and have a relaxing effect on the body.

A 2006 article showed the effects a 2-minute break of silence could have on the body when listening to music. Music of any type caused an arousal effect on the body which resulted in an increased breathing rate, heart rate, and blood pressure. When a 2-minute pause was randomly inserted, there was a relaxation effect on the body and the above stress placed on the body was reduced. 

The Journal of Applied Psychology published a study relating low-level office noise to increased stress and decreased productivity in their employees compared to other employees working in quiet offices.

The American Psychological Association posted a story on the harmful effects of noise “pollution” in schools, neighborhoods, offices, hospitals, etc. Both health-related and cognitive effects have been reported. From elevated stress hormones that cause higher blood pressure and eventually heart and other health problems to lower cognitive and language skills in students. Hospitals have also become noisier over the years and have profound effects on the sleep and recovery of patients as well as the possible hearing loss in premature infants.

A preliminary study on mice conducted in 2015 stated that 2 hours of silence could increase levels of neurogenesis in the hippocampus, the creation of new nerve cells in the part of the brain that is responsible for learning and memory.

A 2015 study used a mind-body medicine technique called mindfulness meditation to research the effects it had on older adults with moderate sleep disturbances. The article states, “Formalized mindfulness-based interventions have clinical importance by possibly serving to remediate sleep problems among older adults in the short term, and this effect appears to carry over into reducing sleep-related daytime impairment that has implications for quality of life.”

Final Thoughts

Bring more quiet into your life and embrace it. Live with intention. Bring purpose and intention into everything that you do. Notice the little things. Don’t let anything pass you by. Life is precious and beautiful. Be grateful for what you have and do not take anything for granted. 

“Quiet the mind and the soul will speak.” Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati

Please share what works for you. How do you embrace the quiet?