The Joys of Silence in the Noisy Season

December 30, 2011

By Linda T. Gottlieb, MA, CPT, CET

I was recently travelling alone on the train and listening to all the noise around me. People talking (too loudly) on their cell phones, music wafting from my seat mates headphones, train rumbles, babies fussing, kids laughing, the conductors messages...and this was all in an expanse of one minute.

The next day I spent over 20 minutes on hold on a support line and had no other option than to listen over and over to their "music on hold"- I decided I want to go back to Silence on Hold. Do you?

We are in the midst of holiday hurrying and it's noisy! How about a little Silent Night, and afternoon and morning for that matter?

Silence allows you to relax into the rhythm of your breath and the life sustaining beating of your heart. It allows you to reconnect to yourself and listen to the messages your thoughts, feelings and emotions are trying to get heard over the bustle of these crazy days.

You have undoubtedly heard that meditation, deep breathing and mindfulness is a winning combination for managing the stress and anxiety of a cancer diagnosis, treatment and healing.

What if you invited your closest friends and family to sit quietly with you during a visit, walk silently next to you at the beach or read the journal of your cancer journey? There are meditation classes held in your community, seek them out and make time for some silence in this noisy season.

You may just give yourself the best gift of 2011!

See you next year!