Tune Out the Noise, Turn Up the Quiet

At such a hectic time of year as the holidays so often prove to be, it is of the utmost importances to intentionally make time in your life to tune out the noise. Turn up the quiet. To just be, without distraction. Without being pulled in a dozen different directions. Carving out that time for yourself is essential to a healthy self- mind, body, and spirit.

Certainly there are the obligations that you cannot shirk. Nor should you. However, it behooves you to take an honest look at your schedule, all the commitments you have made, all the plans that you want to keep, and then to schedule in each day or, if that’s just asking way too much, make it every other day, to simple sit and process.

Consider our daily schedules as akin to the photography process. (I’m gonna get old school here with the ‘vintage’ cameras where you had to load a roll of film and then have it developed.) We can take a roll full of film, reload, and then take another roll of film. But, if we don’t take the time to process all those pictures we’ve taken, then what’s the point really? By making time to process, we’re giving ourselves time to reflect on what we’ve done, who we’ve fellowshipped with, and how we are really doing. Sometimes that little bit of me time will show you that you’re stretching yourself too thin and need to slow down in order to make the holidays something special. Otherwise you’re going to burn yourself out and end up either grumpy or sick. And, of course, you want to be neither of those things.

Last month’s theme here at Whiskers on Kittens was to be intentional in terms of being grateful and full of thanksgiving. This month we’ll be focusing on tuning out the noise and turning up the quiet. These two elements are important at any time of year, but more so during the holiday season.

So, let’s get practical. How do we tune out the noise and turn up the quiet? I mean, there are a bajillion articles and self-help books out there with innumerable tips and ideas on how to do those two things. In fact, there’s so much information out there, it can be completely overwhelming. So, let’s keep this simple.

When you’ve reached the end of your rope and you need to tune out noise and turn up quiet, you need to take a breather.

Not in the colloquial sense, where you take a break. I actually mean you need to sit back and breathe.

Breathing is an amazing stress reducer. In fact, the American Institute of Stress (AIS) actually says that breathing is the Super Stress Buster.

Of course, we’re always breathing. However, when it comes to tuning out the noise and turning up the quiet, your breathing must be intentional. Why? Because by taking deep, intentional, focused breaths during these stressful moments, you’re providing more oxygen to your brain and stimulating your parasympathetic nervous system which will in turn promote an overall sense of wellbeing and calmness.

Focused Breathing

When you start to feel that holiday pressure and you know you’re beginning to contend with a sense of being overwhelmed or anxious, stop whatever you are doing and step back from it. This is how I focus on my breathing during these hairy times.

If I’m working, I sit back in my chair. If I have music playing, I mute it. Then I shut my eyes and actively release the tension in my shoulders. Don’t skip this step. This is a huge stress releaser as most people hold a tremendous amount of tension in their shoulders, mostly because we all spend so much time hunched over computers. Once I’ve released the stress in my shoulders, I inhale deeply. I don’t ordinarily do a count, but many experts recommend inhaling to a count of 4 and then, when you exhale, exhale to a count of 4. This will promote what is called balanced breathing. When I exhale, I visualize my spine lengthening, as though there’s a string attached to the top of my head and puppeteer is gently pulling on it. I do this sort of focused breathing for about a minute or so until I feel my heart return to a normal beat and my body relax. This will reboot your system to move forward in your day. Best of all, it only takes a minute or two to do and it can be done pretty much anywhere. (I do not recommend closing your eyes while driving as that’s hazardous to your health and those around you. However, the tension release in your shoulders and the breathing exercises can be done most effectively in the car, whether you’re the driver or the passenger.)

If I’m at home or in a place that offers the luxury of lying down, I lay down on the carpet or bed or couch or what have you. I close my eyes. Closing my eyes shuts out any other stimulation I might be bombarded with visually. Then I place a hand on my diaphragm (the stomach area) and one over my heart. As I inhale, I visualize my lungs expanding in all directions. I will also feel the hand over my heart rise. I inhale as deeply and slowly as I can and then hold that breath for a couple of seconds. (Generally I try to inhale through my nose, but whatever is comfortable for you, do that.) Then I open my mouth and exhale the fullness of my breath, feeling my diaphragm expand (or the hand over my stomach rise). I would recommend doing this technique for at least five minutes. Experts recommend 10-30 minutes of breathing like this as a sure shot at reducing stress and anxiety and promoting a full body, mind, and spirit relaxation.

I am by no means an expert in breathing techniques. However, we’re lucky to live in a day and age when the internet allows for access to many people who are. There are numerous techniques out there. Below are two videos with several breathing techniques you can apply in different circumstances, one from a Lolly, a Mind-Body Specialist from the University of Maryland and the other from chiropractor and wellness doctor, Dr. Mandell. I appreciate these two videos as they are most informative about how to do each technique and why they are important.

So, as we get closer and closer to the holiday crunch, as the world around us gets more hectic and crazy, please take a moment to give yourself a breather. Schedule the time for it throughout your day. Even if you’re not feeling particularly overwhelmed or stressed in the moment, try and do a minute or two of focused breathing ever hour or two. Not only will that promote relaxation and peace for your during the day, researchers have found that these moments sprinkled throughout your day will actually help you sleep better at night. But that’s another topic for another blog post.

Now, dear readers, I’d love for you to weight in. How do you destress during the holidays?