Slow down and silence the noise around you to access inner voice
Stress for Success
January 12, 2009


Does keeping pace with the hectic and very complex American lifestyle put you into “rut-living” where you operate on automatic pilot therefore missing much of the best of life? If so, learn to access the healthy advice your inner voice tries to communicate to you; some of which could help you create a life that’s simpler and less stressful.

To access your internal wisdom, however, you must slow down to hear it; you must regularly stop the noise and create silence. Try these ideas:
* Start your morning routine more slowly. Get up a few minutes earlier, brush your teeth, eat and drive more slowly.
* Cut down your intake of coffee and other stimulants.
* Connect with nature daily with a conscious walk; not just a mechanical one, but one where you focus on nature and the dawning light. If you're not willing to do this, at least take a deep breath of fresh air and enjoy our incredible Florida fall weather each morning.
* Surround yourself with beauty. I don’t mean buy stuff that becomes mere clutter but rather make your environment at work and at home more appealing to you. Bring in flowers, photos, meaningful mementos, candles and fresh air. Years ago I followed advice from a creativity book by setting up my office with more pleasing colors through multihued paper clips, pens and picture frames. I’ve drawn pleasure and energy from them ever since.
* Seek and enjoy daily silence, the opposite of the cacophony of noises that surround you: the alarming alarm that shocks you awake, the offensive hair dryer, the endless drone of depressing TV news, the ubiquitous office clamor and strident screams of rush-hour traffic. All day you’re surrounded by so much noise that it becomes part of the backdrop of life --- until it totally stops --- leaving the sweet sound of silence.

Don’t underestimate the stress of this incessant clamor. It absolutely blocks your intuition from seeing the light of day.

Once you create a more pleasant and restful rhythm to your life, you can more easily tap into your innate good judgment. A quiet mind is the window through which you can do this using:
* Deep relaxation
* Quiet mind journaling

Here’s the easiest relaxation technique I’ve ever learned. Start with five minutes and work up to 20 minutes:
* Deep breathe for a few minutes until you feel quite relaxed
* With eyes closed, notice yourself inhaling, then as you exhale think, “I’m relaxed,” over and over again

Frequently follow relaxation with journaling. Keep your journal private so you’ll feel no need to edit yourself. You can always destroy what you’ve written later if necessary.

Gradually important insights will surface. To speed these up, write a question or two about whichever challenge you’re focusing on before relaxing and answer it after you’ve meditated.

Repetitively journaling about your life’s questions provides a channel through which your sixth sense can communicate with you. Let it help you create a more genuine and simpler life.


Jacquelyn Ferguson, M. S., of Inter Action Associates, is a trainer and a Stress Coach. E-mail her at www.jackieferguson.com with your questions or for information about her workshops on this and other topics and to invite her to speak to your organization