Silent for a Day

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Anne Stein, M.S.
Sports & Fitness Journalist/Author

A bad economy, tension at work, aging parents, angry drivers – it’s tough to get a break these days from the stresses of everyday life.

The typical advice is to get a few minutes of peace and well-being – if you have the time to do it – though exercise, meditation, or journaling. Spend time with friends, develop hobbies, and focus on others through volunteering.

But one woman, author Anne D. LeClaire, has come up with a surprisingly effective tool that anyone can practice, no matter how much time you have. It’s silence.

On the first and third Mondays of each month, she doesn’t talk to anyone (including her husband, daughters, neighbors and friends). She doesn’t use email, listen to radio or TV, and she keeps her schedule as clear as possible. She’ll often spend time sitting at her computer, working on her latest novel.

Her silent days weren’t always this drastic, and you can start in increments as well. Seventeen years ago, LeClaire simply turned the radio off in her car when she drove. Then she stopped turning on the TV for background noise while working. Now she practices completely silent days.

The result? “I feel like I’ve been to a spa after each silent day,” LeClaire says. “I have so much more energy.” LeClaire documents her practice in the book, “Listening Below the Noise” (Harper).

The silent days have taught LeClaire that we usually don’t need to return phone calls and emails the moment we receive them. When she got a notice from her bank that she was overdrawn – and it was the bank’s mistake – she had to wait a day to call back. Being forced to wait actually stemmed her anxiety. After all, she couldn’t do a thing about it — just for one day.

“Whether it’s health, financial, political or a relationship crisis, it’s imperative to stop and be quiet. It gives you time to reflect and not just mindlessly react and raise the ante of noise.”

Silent days also provide a break from the constant flow of information we receive, and it’s a welcome relief. “All that bad news will be there tomorrow, and so much of that news engenders fear,” she says. “Just being away from it for a day helps us regain our reality.”

LeClaire has these tips for incorporating silence into your life. Try one or two at a time:

• Have one hour of quiet time before bed. No TV, computer or television.
• Turn off the radio while driving.
• Do routine chores in silence.
• Don’t turn on the TV or radio every time you walk into a room.
• Eat alone, without a book, magazine, or other distraction.
• Practice meditation. If you’re new, try five minutes a day, then increase slowly.
• Set aside one morning a month for not talking.
• Don’t constantly check email, Facebook, and other sites. Take a break for an hour or two, or schedule certain times to check in.
• Give yourself 10 minutes of quiet time after waking up. Don’t turn on the radio, TV or computer as soon as you get out of bed.

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