When was the last time you truly stopped?
When did you last take 5 minutes, put every screen out of the way, turned off anything that alerted you to something happening, and just stayed still - taking deep breaths, letting your mind wander, reflecting on the feelings and emotions you’re experiencing…?
You’d think it would be easy to do but I’m terrible at it! While I’ve known it is beneficial to me for years, its something I’m only now trying to put in to practice a little bit more regularly. I know I’m not the only one who struggles to be still, nor the only one who has recognised the benefits of it later on in life!
Over the past few months my colleagues and I have been reflecting on ancient Christian practices like silence, solitude, and fasting, shared within a book and course by John Mark Comer called Practicing the Way. These practices find their roots in Judaism and similar practices can be found across most major faiths. A large part of my experience as a Christian has been in what is known as non-denominational churches - churches that generally look at ritual and tradition with skepticism. In the non-denominational world I was part of, these practices are seen as good but they are generally seen as unnecessary. I’ve come to recognise there is something powerful in being part of something so much bigger than me - a practice going back millennia that for millions of people has connected them in a meaningful way to God.
These moments of reflection with my colleagues have been significant times of reframing the importance of these practices. Whether you are a person of faith or not, there are benefits from these practices that can apply to everyone.
The simple act of silence, taking time to focus on your breathing, and getting some silence from all of the notifications has a load of cognitive and physiological benefits. From improving cognitive function and clarity, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, and reducing stress and anxiety.1 After reflecting over the last few weeks on Emotional Intelligence, the practice of stillness is also a great starting point for self awareness and self management. For some reason, even though on the face of it silence and stillness are both simple and beneficial - I don’t find it easy to put into practice!
For me, and I think others who share my faith or come from a faith tradition that practices these things, there is a bigger connection in these practices that link in to purpose and meaning. I’m finding there is something profound in participating in these practices within a community of friends, but also in joining in something that the Christian community has practiced since Christ modelled it 2000 years ago. This may not be an outcome that everyone gains from stillness, but I do think it provides space for reflecting on where meaning and purpose are found in your life.
So here is the challenge, and I’m doing it too, put in 5 minutes each day for the next week to be still. Not sleeping, no phone or devices, no notifications - including your watch, no music (or soft music if necessary due to distractions/noises around you). As you sit in the silence, I find it helps to focus on your breathing - try inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, and exhale for 6, and then repeat. Longer out-breaths are shown to be particularly helpful for regulation of stress and emotion2.
When the time is up, take an extra minute to reflect on how you felt before and after the stillness. What emotions came up for you during the stillness? Did anything come into focus or priorities become more clear? Was there any deeper sense of meaning and purpose that you’ve noticed through this practice? What other beneficial habits could be paired with this one?
Resources
Michael Hyatt, author and blogger with a focus on leadership and personal development: https://fullfocus.co/the-practice-of-stillness/
John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way
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