Have you ever collapsed into bed at the end of a long day and wondered where it went? You probably won’t remember most of it. That’s because you rushed through it. Running from one task to another may turn you into a robot.
Wish to explore that untapped potential hidden inside you? Then you must aim to eliminate the distractions from your life and understand what you find meaningful in it.
Mindfulness expert Leo Babuata recently explored how to find stillness and quiet in our ever busy world. Here are his 10 tips below:
Sources of Noise
Firstly, we need to talk about ways to filter out the noise. According to Leo, most of the noise is there by choice, but we’ve fallen into patterns over the years and it can seem like we’re not able to change them.
Below we’ve selected 5 possible sources of noise so you can eliminate them from your life.
Social media
It’s not surprising that social media is one of the biggest distractions today. Social media websites tend to apps which keep us connected 24/7 via mobile phones.
Actionable advice: Decide to check on some things (like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) just once a day.
Delete accounts or delete apps that aren’t giving you real meaning. (Leo deleted his Facebook account years ago).
Entertainment
Music is playing everywhere you go, even in elevators. Many people unwind by watching the latest blockbusters. It’s pretty common to find diehard fans of popular TV shows binge watching their favorite series.
Actionable advice: Set a time each day when you watch TV or movies (if at all). Set a time of day when you read news or blogs (if at all).
Mobile phones
Games, apps, text messaging, calls, personalization, internet browsing; you name it and a smartphone provides it to you. This constant bombardment of information is not healthy.
Actionable advice: Tell people that you are only checking your messages once a day, to set expectations.
Steps to Minimize Noise
You want to stop being a slave to personal technology, media and peer pressure? Follow these simple methods to get rid of the pointless noise in your life.
Fewer notifications
The flood of alerts that continuously hits you through your laptop, tablet and mobile phone needs to be controlled. Switch off notifications for all apps except the ones you really need. Prioritize people and say no the mindless stream of data coming your way.
Schedule checks
If you are a social media addict then this is crucial for your personal development: stop looking at your social media and email accounts every ten minutes. Checking them once a day with professional exceptions should be enough.
No useless accounts
Sit down and think about all those online accounts you have. Delete the ones you don’t need and only keep those which you absolutely cannot live without. You really don’t require a presence on every social media platform.
Limit subscriptions
Websites promote themselves through several channels including subscriptions. Your inbox becomes crowded with newsletters and updates from all those websites you don’t even remember subscribing to. Are they important? No!
Plan leisure time
Everyone has preferences they lean towards the second they find free time. You can entertain yourself in ways other than gaming, movies, online browsing, television and mobile apps.
Organize contact
It’s impossible to avoid messages from your boss and coworkers so talk to them about setting special time periods for contact. This will not only clear out noise but also improve your efficiency.
How to discover stillness and meaning
The main dilemmas that now remain are adjusting your routine after filtering out noise, searching for meaning and maintaining your new lifestyle.
Break old habits
First of all, you need to get rid of all your previous habits associated with that noise. Obviously, you must have spent hours surfing the web, online gaming, conversing via instant messaging or being active on social media. Make sure you don’t fall back into the routine you were accustomed to.
Live in the now
What do you do with all the free time in your hands? Do the opposite of what you used to do: stop acting. Try sitting or standing still for five minutes without doing anything. Look around you and observe all the little things you missed while running around before.
Develop better habits
Get reacquainted with you by planning some “me time”. Make yourself the biggest priority in your life. Meditate, take a walk in the park, and write down your thoughts in a journal or sign up for volunteer work. They will help clear your mind and offer new perspectives.
Soul searching
Embark on an enlightening journey to find the things that mean the most to you. It will show you the true purpose of your life. Once you understand that, you will finally feel fulfilled and content in your life.
It’s never too late to remove all the noise which has been holding you back from finding your true self are and making the most of your life.
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