Photo courtesy of Shayan (USA)

Sound of Silence: How to Find Some Quietude in Your Life

“Let us be silent, that we may hear the whispers of the gods.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I woke up at 4 a.m. this morning to the sound of silence. An absolute still household, despite there being six kids and a wife all at home. And while I love my family to death, this time of tranquility is one of absolute bliss for me.

I enjoyed my coffee, read a bit, got some writing done.

Then I headed out for an early morning 5 a.m. run in pure silence, without an iPod, busy traffic, or the busy-ness of humanity to disturb my peace. There was a full-to-nearly-bursting orange moon lighting the sky, the hush of the nearby ocean, and an inky blackness surrounding me, my running, and my thoughts.

This time of quietude is not only one of my favorite parts of my day, but has become an essential part of the day. It soothes the soul, quiets my inner beast, brings out the goodness in me, allows me to hear myself.

Having a time of stillness in your life can be similarly wonderful, if you don’t have it already. Let’s take a look at some ways to find quietude in your life and see how the sound of silence can allow your thoughts to emerge.

Now, I should note that you don’t need to be an early riser to find a time of silence during your day. It’s one of the options (as I’ll talk about below), but it’s only one option among many.

Rise early. If your day is so busy that you just can’t find the time to be alone and to have stillness and silence, getting up a bit earlier can be a good solution for some people. It’s not for everyone — some people hate getting up early. I used to be one of those, but in recent years I’ve discovered a love for the early morning hours. Here’s how to wake earlier if you want to do that.
Late nights. If you’re not into early mornings, late nights can be just as peaceful, when everyone’s asleep. Turn off the TV and get away from the computer. Find other ways to spend this golden time, in quiet.
Get out into nature. Sometimes households and offices can be a bit noisy and chaotic. To escape the noise, get out into nature as much as possible. Find a park, or a trail in some woods. Go to the beach or a pond or a lake or a river — water is one of my favorite ways of finding peace in nature. Pay close attention to everything around you, instead of blocking it all out.
Meditation. Many of you aren’t into meditation, and I totally get that — for years I dismissed it as “new agey” and not worthy of serious attention. But it doesn’t have to be anything complicated or difficult to understand. Try this very simple meditation: close your eyes (after reading the rest of this paragraph) and pay attention to your breathing. Notice your breath as it enters your body, and again as it goes out. Your mind will probably stray — that’s OK. Just pay attention to these thoughts, let them go without forcing them out, and gently return your attention to your breathing. Keep doing this for a minute or so. Gradually increase the time you do this as you practice. It’s nice to get into a comfortable position, but not so comfortable you fall asleep!
Exercise. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, exercise is one of my favorite things to do during my time of silence. It can be anything: running, walking, biking, swimming, strength training, rowing. This exertion of energy helps release stress and gets the blood flowing to your brain — giving you some of the best thinking you’ll do all day.
Take a break and take a walk. Every hour or two, take a break from working. Get away from the computer, and stretch. Then take a walk, to get the blood flowing. It’s fine to just walk around your office or building, but if you can get outside into the sunlight (or rain, as the case may be) and fresh air (or less-than-fresh air, as the case may also be), I find that to be helpful. Sure, it might not be all that quiet if you’re out in a busy street, but it’s better than being cooped up all day.
Yoga. I will admit that I’m not into yoga, but I know some people who swear by it. I’ve tried it and enjoyed it, but it’s just not my thing. That said, I think it’s worth a try and it can be a great quiet-time exercise.
Reading. One of my all-time favorite quiet-time activities! I love curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee when all is quiet, and losing myself inside the magical world of fiction. If you haven’t been reading as much as you’d like, finding some quiet time in the morning (or evening) can be a great way to work reading into your routine.
Journaling. There’s something therapeutic about writing in a journal, and if you make it a daily habit, it can be one of the best things you do all day. It gives you a way to reflect on your life, on the things you’ve been doing and the things you want to do. It records your life so you can look back on it later. And it brings clarity to your thoughts in a way you might not find without writing. Blogging can be a great form of journaling.
Bathing. I don’t get a chance to do this enough, but I love to take a nice long bath. That might not seem very manly, but I don’t care. It’s relaxing and enjoyable. Calgon, take me away!
Massage. If you can afford it, it’s nice to go and get a paid massage now and then — Eva and I had numerous massages during our trip to Thailand, and they were wonderful. Quiet, relaxing, oh so pleasurable. Of course, you can do this the cheap (more positive term: frugal) way by exchanging massages with your significant other on, say, alternating days. Use massage oil and candles and relaxing music to create a great atmosphere.
Museums, art galleries, libraries, gardens. If you live in a city, it can be hard to find zones of quietude. But they do exist. When I lived in San Francisco, for example, some of my favorite quiet places (besides parks and the beach) were the city’s libraries, museums, galleries, and private gardens. Find those places in your city and use them as oases.
For those with kids. Many of these things can be difficult if you have kids to take care of — trust me, with six kids, I know the feeling. Some suggestions: take advantage of the early mornings or late evenings when they’re sleeping; exchange quiet times with your significant other so that one watches the kids while the other relaxes or exercises; trade kid-watching duty with a friend or relative; pay a babysitter for a short time each day; or find activities for your kids to do while you get your quiet time.

“Silence is a source of great strength.” - Lao Tzu

—
If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or Digg. I’d appreciate it. :)

Sound of Silence: How to Find Some Quietude in Your Life

“Let us be silent, that we may hear the whispers of the gods.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I enjoyed my coffee, read a bit, got some writing done.

Now, I should note that you don’t need to be an early riser to find a time of silence during your day. It’s one of the options (as I’ll talk about below), but it’s only one option among many.

Rise early. If your day is so busy that you just can’t find the time to be alone and to have stillness and silence, getting up a bit earlier can be a good solution for some people. It’s not for everyone — some people hate getting up early. I used to be one of those, but in recent years I’ve discovered a love for the early morning hours. Here’s how to wake earlier if you want to do that.
Late nights. If you’re not into early mornings, late nights can be just as peaceful, when everyone’s asleep. Turn off the TV and get away from the computer. Find other ways to spend this golden time, in quiet.
Get out into nature. Sometimes households and offices can be a bit noisy and chaotic. To escape the noise, get out into nature as much as possible. Find a park, or a trail in some woods. Go to the beach or a pond or a lake or a river — water is one of my favorite ways of finding peace in nature. Pay close attention to everything around you, instead of blocking it all out.
Meditation. Many of you aren’t into meditation, and I totally get that — for years I dismissed it as “new agey” and not worthy of serious attention. But it doesn’t have to be anything complicated or difficult to understand. Try this very simple meditation: close your eyes (after reading the rest of this paragraph) and pay attention to your breathing. Notice your breath as it enters your body, and again as it goes out. Your mind will probably stray — that’s OK. Just pay attention to these thoughts, let them go without forcing them out, and gently return your attention to your breathing. Keep doing this for a minute or so. Gradually increase the time you do this as you practice. It’s nice to get into a comfortable position, but not so comfortable you fall asleep!
Exercise. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, exercise is one of my favorite things to do during my time of silence. It can be anything: running, walking, biking, swimming, strength training, rowing. This exertion of energy helps release stress and gets the blood flowing to your brain — giving you some of the best thinking you’ll do all day.
Take a break and take a walk. Every hour or two, take a break from working. Get away from the computer, and stretch. Then take a walk, to get the blood flowing. It’s fine to just walk around your office or building, but if you can get outside into the sunlight (or rain, as the case may be) and fresh air (or less-than-fresh air, as the case may also be), I find that to be helpful. Sure, it might not be all that quiet if you’re out in a busy street, but it’s better than being cooped up all day.
Yoga. I will admit that I’m not into yoga, but I know some people who swear by it. I’ve tried it and enjoyed it, but it’s just not my thing. That said, I think it’s worth a try and it can be a great quiet-time exercise.
Reading. One of my all-time favorite quiet-time activities! I love curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee when all is quiet, and losing myself inside the magical world of fiction. If you haven’t been reading as much as you’d like, finding some quiet time in the morning (or evening) can be a great way to work reading into your routine.
Journaling. There’s something therapeutic about writing in a journal, and if you make it a daily habit, it can be one of the best things you do all day. It gives you a way to reflect on your life, on the things you’ve been doing and the things you want to do. It records your life so you can look back on it later. And it brings clarity to your thoughts in a way you might not find without writing. Blogging can be a great form of journaling.
Bathing. I don’t get a chance to do this enough, but I love to take a nice long bath. That might not seem very manly, but I don’t care. It’s relaxing and enjoyable. Calgon, take me away!
Massage. If you can afford it, it’s nice to go and get a paid massage now and then — Eva and I had numerous massages during our trip to Thailand, and they were wonderful. Quiet, relaxing, oh so pleasurable. Of course, you can do this the cheap (more positive term: frugal) way by exchanging massages with your significant other on, say, alternating days. Use massage oil and candles and relaxing music to create a great atmosphere.
Museums, art galleries, libraries, gardens. If you live in a city, it can be hard to find zones of quietude. But they do exist. When I lived in San Francisco, for example, some of my favorite quiet places (besides parks and the beach) were the city’s libraries, museums, galleries, and private gardens. Find those places in your city and use them as oases.
For those with kids. Many of these things can be difficult if you have kids to take care of — trust me, with six kids, I know the feeling. Some suggestions: take advantage of the early mornings or late evenings when they’re sleeping; exchange quiet times with your significant other so that one watches the kids while the other relaxes or exercises; trade kid-watching duty with a friend or relative; pay a babysitter for a short time each day; or find activities for your kids to do while you get your quiet time.

“Silence is a source of great strength.” - Lao Tzu

—
If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or Digg. I’d appreciate it. :)

Posted on 14 September 2008 in Happiness, Simplicity |
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Comments (72)

"Motivate Thyself" Says:

September 14th, 2008, 19:46 pm

@Leo: “run in pure silence, without an iPod, busy traffic, or the busy-ness of humanity to disturb my peace.”

I usually run with my iPod for that extra motivation while pushing myself, but I must say that leaving it at home is a nice change of pace. And it’s not just about listening to music. You’re talking about just letting the peace of a quiet morning be your inspiration and your drive. Enjoying the fresh air with the natural sounds to go along with it. A lot of good tips. Ones that I can relate to.

Andrew Flusche Says:

September 14th, 2008, 20:04 pm

You’re such a great writer, Leo!! I love this line:

There was a full-to-nearly-bursting orange moon lighting the sky, the hush of the nearby ocean, and an inky blackness surrounding me, my running, and my thoughts.

Nat Says:

September 14th, 2008, 20:12 pm

Nothing better than an early morning run… if you don’t wake up too much, it’s mediative in itself.

Tabs Says:

September 14th, 2008, 20:26 pm

I love the late night quite time, you feel like the world has gone to sleep, (except in New York (Manhattan) and on the Vegas Strip, which gets one hour of quite at 4am then people start waking up again) - Manhattan depends on where you live.

The only problem with my love to late night, early morning living is you still have to join the rest of the world in the morning. I have tried setting work hours 10p to 6am, working from home so I can do this but it involves tuning out the whining calls and questions at 10am asking why you are still sleeping. One advise for anyone who works until wee hours of the morning is, remember to turn off all your phones.

Alas, I am officially unable to use quite time for meditation or just shutting down, I am constantly doing something productive or otherwise, but I figured I have two places I can get some quite, one is in the shower and the other is when I sleep.

Have a nice week,

-Tabs

Robin Wedewer Says:

September 14th, 2008, 20:29 pm

Great advice. Quiet time restores.

Don’t forget that sometimes we can find quiet even while engaged in other activities. Turn off the radio in the car. Establish a no TV or reading night at home and engage the whole family.

That said, for me, getting away is always best.

Robin Wedewer
National Gardening Examiner

Chrissy - Make Words Happy Says:

September 14th, 2008, 20:31 pm

Wow, Leo! Great timing! I just set goal of waking up at 5 am for the next 6 weeks, in order to complete a new e-book. It’s silence I’m after. I have a big thing about writing in complete silence and the early morning hours are the absolute BEST time to find it.

During the week, life is just so chaotic. It’s hard to find any peace and quiet. At work, I actually share office space, and I’ve started putting on headphones connected to computer with no sound on. It has a psychological effect for me. Just wearing them helps me concentrate. It’s like pseudo-silence. It doesn’t block out everything, but it helps significantly. And people are always a little more hesitant about interrupting me :)

Tom Says:

September 14th, 2008, 20:45 pm

Leo, I have a question, do you eat before you run? If so, what? That’s the problem I usually find; I want to get up and get moving, but if I don’t eat something I find myself not getting much out of my run, but at the same time, if I eat, I have to wait an hour and a bit to run anyway.

Any help you could offer would be great!

Brenda Grate Says:

September 14th, 2008, 20:46 pm

This is an excellent article and a good reminder to all of us. As a writer, I find silence imperative. If I don’t find quiet time to formulate, I don’t get inspiration for my writing. I need to feel balanced within myself in order to produce good work. I do several of the things on your list: exercise, meditation, yoga, reading, journaling. One that works especially well for me is swimming laps. With my ears in the water, everything is shut out and I usually get some of my best ideas.

Really enjoyed reading. Thanks. :)

legacy daily Says:

September 14th, 2008, 20:55 pm

I love that time early in the morning. Good job on reminding!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Computer Guy Says:

September 14th, 2008, 20:58 pm

I’ve recently taken up yoga and I thought it was all hype, but I figured I’d give it a shot. I’m surprised at how peaceful it makes you feel afterward!

Leo Says:

September 14th, 2008, 21:02 pm

Thanks for the comments, guys!

@Tom: Yeah, I usually have a bite to eat, especially if I’m doing a run for longer than an hour. A 30-min run doesn’t require eating, although you can if you want.

I tend to eat something small … maybe a banana, or peanut butter toast, or a ClifBar. No cereal with milk, as that can upset your stomach. Lately it’s been Ezekiel cinnamon raisin English muffins with almond butter.

I eat right when I get up and run about 45 mins later — no upset stomach or anything.

Success Professor Says:

September 14th, 2008, 21:46 pm

Leo,

Thanks for a great post. My favorites are the massage, the hot bath, and exercising.

One other thing that I find valuable, is simply shutting the office door. Sitting back in my chair and closing my eyes. Doing that for a few minutes really renews me.

Pete Says:

September 14th, 2008, 21:50 pm

Honestly, I get a lot out of driving with the radio off in the car. My mind is free to run its course. It amazes me how many great ideas I come up with during these times. A simple half hour ride to Jiu Jitsu class is all I need to get a few ideas for my blog posts.

I also like to rise early. It is my favorite time of day just for the silence. So peaceful.

http://yinvsyang.com/

Dumb Darwin Says:

September 14th, 2008, 21:59 pm

4am seems to be the exact definition of “very early morning”. Just saw Rives talk about 4am topic at TED Talks and I discovered there are a lot of coincidences at 4am. Sorry Leo, a little bit off topic.

Great post though. I liked it.

Here’s the link if you guys are interested:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/rives_on_4_a_m.html

Fit Bottomed GIrl Says:

September 14th, 2008, 22:09 pm

I love massages exactly for those reasons that you mention. But, I have to have music when I exercise. :)

Scott McIntyre Says:

September 14th, 2008, 22:46 pm

This is brilliant advice for gaining peace and quiet in our life, Leo.

It’s all too easy to lose ourselves in the frantic pace of today’s rushed and busy world… We need to seek out silence to re-discover what’s within.

I wonder if you’re familiar with the poem ‘Desiderata’ by Max Ehrman, Leo? (http://www.fleurdelis.com/desiderata.htm)

It begins with these inspirational words:

“Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.”

I’d love to read an article by you which translates the poem’s message into modern living - with a Zen Habits twist!

Vered - MomGrind Says:

September 14th, 2008, 22:53 pm

“Take advantage of the early mornings or late evenings when they’re sleeping”: absolutely. I wake up extra early just so that I can have that first cup of coffee in peace and quiet.

Jenn Says:

September 14th, 2008, 22:55 pm

I love the bathing entry. It’s a great way to wind down at the end of the day and prepare for sleep. I’m still working on the waking up early part.

Nathan Says:

September 14th, 2008, 23:30 pm

I often hate to wake up early, but find that when I do I usually get more benefit from being awake than from sleeping.

Running without music is tough for me, but when done during quiet hours (late at night or early morning) the mood is very refreshing. I often get my best thinking done during a workout.

Jamie | WiredParentPad Says:

September 14th, 2008, 23:33 pm

As always, a wonderful post from Zen Habits.

As a parent of four kids, finding quietude can be quite a challenge sometimes. The early morning / late nights probably work the best, though our teenage kids are often up later than I am now.

I laughed at your comment about baths not being “manly” - I’m a man who loves to soak in a hot bath just as much as any woman, and it has been awhile… hmm… off to start a bath!

Charles Says:

September 15th, 2008, 0:16 am

Great tips. I love quiet, but I find it difficult to come across. I usually settle for tuning out the other noise with more preferable noise (headphones.)

I’ve been feeling like I should get out to nature more though, so I’ll give that a shot.

Lao Tzu Says:

September 15th, 2008, 0:48 am

Silence truly is golden. i heard this the other day.
‘the first sign of maturity is when you recognize the volume nob turns to the left”

speaking of volume, music and silence…
“Hello darkness my old friend…”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sounds_of_Silence_(song)

silence truly is ‘golden’

glad to see you posted the lao tzu quote

everything emenates from silence
and everything returns to silence
we are infinite
~mws

well done!

Vintage Mommy Says:

September 15th, 2008, 1:26 am

I get up early to exercise, and almost every morning, as I’m heading to the gym or on a run, I’m tempted to just sit with coffee and enjoy the quiet.

But without exercise I would go nuts! So I always carry on . . .

Chris - Zen to Fitness Says:

September 15th, 2008, 1:31 am

Really good topic for a post. I really enjoy the few hours in the morning when I get up early. If I miss out on it through over sleeping (usually a late night) it really affects my day negatively….

PhilipLilly.com Says:

September 15th, 2008, 2:56 am

I find that I need some silence and alone time to be able to recharge from a day. I am an introvert type of person, so I often find myself valuing my alone time. I love early mornings to myself when everyone else is asleep. I think there are some benefits to noise too though. If I am not trying to focus on something then noise isn’t a bad thing. If I am alone in a busy city I often feel refreshed due to being alone even with so many things around me. It helps to bring into perspective how busy life is, while not being busy myself. The best point is just find a place to be refreshed and renewed.

Cheers,
Philip

The Daily Minder Says:

September 15th, 2008, 4:11 am

Really nice article. One of the hardest things to do these days. People seem to be afraid of it.

TDM

DanGTD Says:

September 15th, 2008, 4:22 am

Great example of a simple meditation technique.
Don’t be surprised if at first you can’t keep your thoughts to your breathing even for a minute, the several dozen times you try. It takes quite a while to calm your thoughts and let go of the distractions.

Amalgam Says:

September 15th, 2008, 5:26 am

Jeez I still can’t believe you wake up each day at 4AM! What time do you go to bed?

Leo Says:

September 15th, 2008, 5:45 am

@Amalgam: I don’t wake at 4 a.m. every day … I mostly get up that early when I’m going to do a medium-long run (like 7-12 miles). For anything longer, I get up earlier (13-22 miles), like 3 a.m. … for shorter runs (2-6 miles) I might get up at 4:30 or 5 a.m. If I’m taking a rest day I’ll sleep in until 6 a.m. or so. I’m not real strict with myself, but if I don’t wake up early enough for my run I’ll be running in very hot sun. Plus I like the quiet time.

I try to sleep between 10-11 a.m., which isn’t enough sleep, so I’ll often take a nap during the day.

Leo Says:

September 15th, 2008, 5:46 am

But … the point isn’t how early you wake up. My routine won’t work for everyone. Pick your own time to wake up … it might be 6 a.m. or even 7 a.m., depending on your schedule. No need to get up at crazy hours just because I do.

Usman Says:

September 15th, 2008, 5:56 am

Some really nice stuff in there. I could imagine myself doing each and everyone of them. A great breakdown. Thanks alot :)

Usman
http://burnfatnbuildmuscle.blogspot.com

Doggie Sensei Says:

September 15th, 2008, 7:21 am

I get up early and take the dog for a run. This gets my brain started and keeps my dog well behaved because of all the exercise we get.

Take note: no IPod or distractions. Just you, your breathing, and the sound of your companion running beside you.

terry Says:

September 15th, 2008, 7:44 am

“Calgon take me away”, lol. I laughed out loud at that.

Anyway, I like a shower better. It’s like standing in a delightful and warm rain. That is to say, until I start feeling guilty that I’m wasting too much water.

PurpleInside Says:

September 15th, 2008, 8:00 am

Dear Leo,

It’s my first comment to your blog, eventhough I read your Zenhabits all the time and I follow you on twitter ;).. I’m a fan of yours and it was time to say so :)

Regarding this beautifull post on silence and quiet… I loved the way you described this special moment… But what if you are in silence most of the time, if you live alone, if you feel lonely… I actually get tired of this silence, specially because my mind is not quiet at all.. I have all this problems, all this issues pounding my brain.. I get no peace at all…

What do you think?

"Motivate Thyself" Says:

September 15th, 2008, 8:05 am

@Pete: I know what you mean about turning off the radio. In my line of work I spend a lot of time driving to client’s offices and homes so I spend a lot of time in the car. I used to just listen to the news and talk radio to ’stay entertained’. But recently I’ve stopped that all together and just us it as time to think. Not only is it a great time to get your thoughts together but I found the radio to just be a bunch of blah, blah, blah. It was like listening to a broken record most the time.

Ryan McLean Says:

September 15th, 2008, 8:06 am

I love love love late nights.
I will work till 2am-3am in the morning writing and promoting my blog because everyone else is asleep and I am the only one awake. I love doing this beause I find it too hard to get up in the morning.
This is when I love to develop my entrepreneurs blog the most. This post inspired me to get a quieter life. Thankyou

The Healthy Librarian Says:

September 15th, 2008, 8:19 am

Well said! I LOVE QUIET!

After a “noisy” summer, I recently wrote:

I need quiet-alone-time. When you vacation, when you visit relatives and friends, when you have house guests, or your grown kids pay an extended visit, quiet-time disappears. Someone (& I am guilty, too) is always talking, or the television is always on. OK, it’s fun. It’s enriching. But after awhile, one’s inner calm needs a battery recharge. When I read Katy Butler’s piece, “How to Access Your Inner Calm” in the September 2008 issue of More, she reminded me of how much I was missing meditation, and how much noise assaults our peace and sensibilities.

“The loudest sound my great-grandparents heard on an average day was the ringing of their village church bell. Nobody interrupted their dinners with beeps; news arrived by letter or, less often, with a knock at the front door. They lived in the vast South African desert, and the background was silence.

Contrast that with ordinary life in 21st century America, where the background is a hum of machine noise so constant that it goes unremarked: subways, freeways, leaf blowers, air conditioners, Jet Skis, television. Technology penetrates traditional boundaries of solitude and sanctuary; cell phones ring during funerals; helicopters buzz the Grand Canyon; bosses e-mail the house on Sunday morning. And then there are the 16,000 odd words, on average that we each speak every day, and the thousands more we hear.”

My resolution: Insure some quiet-time, some alone-time, or some meditation time every day.

My husband’s promise: He’s buying a wireless head set to use when he wants to watch TV & I want to read or write. Or vice versa. Why be mad, distracted, or have to read the same page over & over again when you can buy wireless earphones for your TV? Viva the silence!

He bought the wireless earphones & the Sound of Silence is AMAZING!!

http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com

Sergio Says:

September 15th, 2008, 10:19 am

Hi Leo n Everyone!
just now i´m back to office from a brief walk to breath and buy some snacks for coffee and a make a good start for week´s work

i´m not exactly the quite-mind guy (i love listening to music while working, also i´m a rock band singer - on days off)
maybe thts why i learned how to enjoy some silent times n try to creat more of it… reading, meditating and doing some yoga
so thx for this post right on monday!
keep up the good work!

Wayfaring Wanderer Says:

September 15th, 2008, 10:41 am

Nature is exactly where I find peace……I love to go hiking and camping when I feel at odds with myself or the world. I come out of the woods with a renewed sense of clarity that I just couldn’t get anywhere else!

Great tips.

WiseMoneyMatters Says:

September 15th, 2008, 11:26 am

I’m starting a brand new job which requires me to get up at 4am instead of 7am (which is when my wife gets up as well). The last few days I’ve been waking up at 5 or 6am to get used to the earlier schedule and it’s been wonderful. I wake up, do some yoga, go for a run, maybe read a book or some of my favorite blogs (which recently included this one). I love it.

My favorite “quiet time” is in the forest. I guess it’s not technically quiet as there’s the natural sounds of the wind and animals, but it’s very close to pure tranquility. Since my back yard borders the National Forest, I try to make use of that when I can.

PeaceCat Says:

September 15th, 2008, 11:39 am

Hi Leo

Just responding to: “Yoga…I’ve tried it and enjoyed it, but it’s just not my thing.”

I expect there are some yoga exercises you might enjoy which you can incorporate into your routine, so you can get the benefits of yoga without the bits that bore you or don’t appeal to you.

e.g. I like yoga, and incorporate it into my daily exercise, but there are some elements I don’t enjoy, such as doing 5 million sun salutations (I get bored :D), or having sit/lie on the floor for too long (it’s far too cold in my house for that), so I just avoid those and stick to the parts I do like (keeping moving and warm with vigorous standing poses, then following with backbends and sitting poses/stretches).

A short yoga routine (e.g. 10 mins) is also a good cool down after other exercise (such as running / resistance training)

Just a thought :)

p.s. I realise that some die hard yoga enthusiasts may not agree with my suggestion of taking just the bits of yoga you enjoy, but in my view, some yoga is better than no yoga at all :) (this works for me at least!).

Renata Says:

September 15th, 2008, 11:40 am

Well, I definitely know the challenge in finding quiet with 5 teenagers in my home. And I also know that quiet and solitude are essential to my well-being. I have found that earplugs in the evening when I am reading blocks out the noises from the Tv’s, video games, etc. I am currently trying to figure out how to “quiet” my environment when I attempt to do yoga ( need my ears though to listen to the DVD) since there is so much stimulation in my home. (Two dogs and a cat also!) I love the idea of swimming….

Edie Dykeman Says:

September 15th, 2008, 11:55 am

My special time is very early in the morning, coffee at hand, reading the news digests, and preparing for my blogs. It has turned into a creative thinking and writing time that I would not trade for anything. My LR/office windows face the east and I love watching the sun rise. Thanks for a great list. Several items on the list are a treasure to me.

Dave leander Says:

September 15th, 2008, 12:17 pm

I removed all but one tv from my home and canceled cable. A great way to disconnect. I don’t miss it. I also stopped watching the news. The only news that sells is badnews and who wants to watch the worst of the world daily.

Dave
daveleander.blogspot.com

Jayadeep Purushothaman Says:

September 15th, 2008, 12:18 pm

Couldn’t agree more on this - but I have hit a rough patch getting out and running though I am up by 5am.

Creative Zen Says:

September 15th, 2008, 12:42 pm

The tick worked for me when I got a empty small room in my house. I’ve covered the wals with cloth and some cork plates. The result was a almost no external sound rooms. Like those in the audio studios. I can get there, got this incredible confortable pillows and a few candles. Now I can have my silent moment almost whenever I want.

It’s a great place to get over writers block, Or simply to be still and do nothing. Meditating becomes more easy when you’re in such place :)

You have a WONDERFULL blog. I’ve growned a LOT with it. Thank you for sharing your experience.

Katie Says:

September 15th, 2008, 13:22 pm

I absolutely love quiet mornings! I lived in San Diego for 8 years and everyone used to go on and on about the amazing sunsets. I was with them until I experienced the sun rises. Wow! I was on my college rowing team, so we would have to get up at 4am and be on the water by 5am. Such an amazing experience being quiet on flat water with the sun rising. You can actually hear the town start to wake up. Miss it!

I suggest that you all read Ode Magazine’s summer issue that was dedicated to Silence: http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/55

Brett E Says:

September 15th, 2008, 14:07 pm

Hi Leo! This comment is not about your post. I’ve been reading Zen Habits for over a year now. First I want to thank you for the clear, zen-like posts you have shared with the world. Some of them have been extremely useful to me personally.

But I’m writing to say that I am unsubscribing from Zen Habits. I find the quality of content has decreased steadily over the last year. I don’t regularly read a lot of blogs – I try to stick with quality vs. quantity, and maximize my time online. I have reasons for leaving, which in all fairness I feel I should share with you before I depart. I am no guru or genius, but I am a graphic designer and zen habit aspirant, so take my comments for whatever they are worth to you. I am just one guy. It’s nothing personal.

But… if this is truly a place to cultivate “Zen Habits” then you have lost focus. It has reached the tipping point for me where you are just adding to the noise.

In my opinion there are:
too many lists
too many links
too many posts
too many off-topic posts
too many comments from people plugging their own sites
too many “experiments”
too many ads, etcetera.

I don’t find zen habits here anymore. All of that being said, it is your blog and I respect that you control it and can do with it what you please. I am aware that you need to make money & promote yourself - because this is your job now. It has been an interesting thing to watch evolve, and again, I really do thank you. (Especially for those original posts.) I guess we both have grown.

Put simply: I feel like the zen thing I can do right now is to stop reading Zen Habits. Best wishes to you and your future endeavors. Namasté.

Brett

Leo Says:

September 15th, 2008, 15:18 pm

@Brett E: I appreciate your honest feedback — it helps me improve. It would actually be more useful if you had some positive suggestions — what would you like to see more of?

@Jayadeep: One thing that has helped me get out the door and run is having a running partner — if you know the other person is waiting for you, you’ll definitely get going!

@PeaceCat: Sure, I’d be open to adding some elements of yoga into my routine … any suggestions for specific exercises/stretches?

@PurpleInside: That’s a tough one … I have a couple of suggestions: 1) if you are alone a lot, you probably need to get out and meet people, talk to people, as that can be a healthy solution — find things to do with other people that are a lot of fun, like clubs or running races; 2) exercise is good for working through all the thoughts in your head — you might try that.

Brett E Says:

September 15th, 2008, 16:08 pm

Forgive me for not being more positive and/or useful. My comments were meant to communicate why Zen Habits is not “working” for me – not to tell you how to run your site, or dispense unsolicited advice. Again, my comments are not personal.

I am paid well to craft marketing messages & visuals that are clear and focused. Communicating is what I love to do - whether it be visual, written or spoken. It takes extra time to edit and focus more, but the results are better and my clients’ brands thrive because of it.

I would not say I want to see “more” of anything here. Maybe less? I already gave you a list of “too manys”.

The best free advice I can give is to 1) write about what you know, 2) stay focused on the title of your site as you create new content for it and 3) write less. If it feels like you are stretching your content to fit your blog’s theme, then it doesn’t really belong here.

Merlin Mann (who I know you know of) has written some very inspiring stuff lately on 43folders.com about this same topic. My greatest wish for Zen Habits is that it could really be, in as many ways possible, about helping people cultivate zen-like habits. Simple. :)

Best of luck to you and your projects Leo!

tsaphah Says:

September 15th, 2008, 16:41 pm

What time did you go to bed? =)

As a follow-up to what Brett E had to say…

I too check Zen Habits less than I use to. This honestly is not a direct reflection of you Leo or your blog. As I’ve read what you have to say and apply it, I’ve worked to simplify my life and a large part of that has been the number of “inputs” I get in a day.

Here is some positive feedback and suggestions:
- I like lists. Many people do, but others don’t. My suggestion would be to place the list of items at the top with very brief summary. Below (after the ‘click for more’) expand on your thoughts. This lets people quickly decide if the posted lists is something they want to invest the time to read. (do they already know the list items)

- Zen for me has to do with peace and tranquility in life - not any religious context. For that reason, I read your blog for suggestions on what can be done to simplify my life. The irony is the more things I apply to make my life simpler, the the crazier it can get. - This is why I don’t always read.

- Your readers are very diverse in their background, their lives, and their points of view. When coming up with topics try role-playing random readers. For example, think what stress/ complications/ non-zen things the house-wife of 4 kids, who home schools has. These things will be very different that the college student taking 18 credits and working at Burger King.

- From the role-playing figure you can either write specifics to an audience, or try to find the common thread. (in above, one obvious one is organizing weekly activities and managing small budgets)

- In a post awhile back you half-way joked about how you and other productivity blogs just make things up. This is okay - you aren’t an expert on life. A post will not always reach everyone, before you begin writing make sure you are certain who the audience is. You won’t reach everyone, that is okay, just remain focused.

- You’re posts are great on practical application. I think this has been a big key to your success. Keep that up!

- Application without the “why” doesn’t carry as much meaning. You can tell a kid not to touch a stove burner 100 times, but once they’ve burned themselves they /understand/ why not to touch it. You give good application, but don’t forget to fully justify /why/ we should try what you suggest. Give pro’s, give con’s. Tell stories of failure.

- Brett E’s comments had a lot of “too many” statements. I personally feel you have a decent level of posts. That said, I understand what he says. Perhaps you can provide some ways for us to filter posts. This could be RSS feeds for each category, or an RSS feed that contains only posts that have all of the weeks posts listed, a brief summary, and a link to the full article. This lets us check in once a week on a single feed and come back and read the articles that have more value to us.

- On the above, I realize this minimizes the Digg/ Reddit effect if readership is spread out over a week. It could also minimize traffic to the site. I don’t see those as bad things if it means the visitors read posts they care about and apply them.

.. I have more thoughts, but I’ll end the comment for now. If you want more feedback or more explanation on the thoughts you can follow up with a email.

Maura Says:

September 15th, 2008, 16:50 pm

Leo, I finally understand how you do all that you do… Thank You for this: “I try to sleep between 10-11 a.m., which isn’t enough sleep, so I’ll often take a nap during the day.”

I am a firm believer in naps, but it’s not so cool to snooze in my cubicle if I want to stay employed. My workplace has flextime, but somehow I think that a midday siesta would be rejected by management. Not sure I’m ready for that step yet, but you’ve got it right, Leo - becoming your own boss gives you the opportunity to structure your day in a way that works well for you.

As for yoga, there are lots of different types of practices and classes… Leo, as a bookworm, you might start by picking up a book or magazine (or reading it at the bookstore) to get an idea of some poses and/or the underlying concepts. Or, take a look online at http://www.yogajournal.com.

Andrew Says:

September 15th, 2008, 17:21 pm

I couldn’t agree more.. that’s exactly the reason i wake up at 4, its that one time of the day that is private, quiet, it’s almost ethereal.

good on you leo :)

d Says:

September 15th, 2008, 18:46 pm

to compliment my quiet activites i light up scented candles when writing my in journal and such. great post :)

Mike Donovan Says:

September 15th, 2008, 19:39 pm

Brett, If you’re still reading the comments….

I am surprised, if you’ve been reading Zen Habits as long as you say you have, that you’ve failed to read Leo’s discussions about the name of the blog. It was really never meant to be “zen” in the traditional sense of “Zen Buddhism.” Leo, correct me if I’m wrong, but I vividly remember your posts about you just liking the name and debating changing the name and deciding to keep it despite the fact it wasn’t a true “zen” blog for Zen purists (for lack of a better word). So, as far as being “off-message” he really hasn’t been, as the thrust of this blog *never was* about ‘traditional’ zen life.

Enrique Says:

September 16th, 2008, 2:38 am

Great advices! I’ll try (promise) to focus on:
- Rise early
- Reading (a bit more)
- Journaling: writing is definitely therapeutic, but making it a daily habit is kind of hard… I’ll try anyway :)

Congratulations from Spain!

J.D. Meier Says:

September 16th, 2008, 3:07 am

Silence is the golden yin to my noisy yang.

How many hours do you sleep to feel fresh at 4am?

Darryl Young Says:

September 16th, 2008, 6:03 am

Great article,

This website is now one of the very few sites that I open as soon as I turn my PC on, each morning when I get in the office I’ll try to find the time to read an article on here and I always come out of it more positive.

Thanks and keep up the good work.

PeaceCat Says:

September 16th, 2008, 6:36 am

Hi Leo,

Re: Yoga

I’ve included some links below for you, here are some more thoughts but I’ll try to keep it brief!

To get some balanced yoga into your routine, roughly follow this pattern:

Something to warm up e.g. a set of Hindu push ups or sun salutations (involve similar movements)

Then anywhere between 1 and 5 exercises in the following categories (in order to get a balanced workout) depending on how much time you have

Standing poses (e.g. a warrior sequence - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa6uon6yZJo)
Sitting poses / forward bending
Backbends
Inversions (a yoga teacher once told me it is good for your brain to be upside down at least once per day!)
Relaxation – lying in ‘corpse pose’ to let the nervous system settle down

The yoga journal site is pretty good for instructions, and includes lists with thumbnail pics to give you a brief overview (http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/finder/browse_categories)
I think it also has a sequence builder, but I’ve not had a play with that yet.

Tips:

Don’t think of yoga exercises as static holds, even when you appear to be holding a position, your breathing will create waves of movement and you can use this breathing movement to deepen stretches, or twist further etc. I expect this applies to other types of exercise too!

My absolute favourite yoga pose, is ‘Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi, I’ (http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/939) This does something wonderful for the internal organs, I’m not sure what exactly, but if I don’t have time for any other yoga I will at least do this pose (for several deep breaths each side) and feel super energised afterwards.

Practice yoga in a warm room with adequate flooring (and a yoga mat preferably!) – my pet peeve with many yoga classes is that they often neglect this important factor.

Pick one or two challenging yoga poses and work towards them in baby steps (when you’re sufficiently warmed up). The mental and physical challenge is stimulating and it will teach you which parts of your body need more attention, e.g. at the moment, I’m working towards a couple of advanced arm balances, but don’t quite have the upper body strength required yet (something else to work on).

You can change the pace & intensity (fast or slow, gentle or vigorous) according to your energy levels and how much time you have. I find I can do the same set of yoga exercises in 15 minutes or in 50 minutes, depending on how deep I get into each one and for how long.

Hope that helps :)

"Motivate Thyself" Says:

September 16th, 2008, 6:52 am

Another thing I enjoy in the mornings is letting out our little Miniature Dachshunds. They are always so happy to see you. You never have to wonder what mood they will be in. They just pop up, start wagging their little tales and trot outside to ‘use the facilities’. They always just seem so happy to have the privilege to enjoy another wonderful day. This is a great thing for me to experience every morning! :-)

Nick Says:

September 16th, 2008, 7:24 am

Good article. Although I have to say I am feeling rather overwhelmed by all the articles (and long ones too!) personally i would prefer there to be say 1 or 2 main topics and spread out over the week in bite-sized chunks.

Some good ideas, inspiring…….for me, getting out into Nature is refreshing. The time before people get up is great, nice and quiet!

I recommend having some ‘down time’ on return from work so you can wind-down from work etc, for example meditation or sitting in the garden so you can recharge your batteries.

Also, last 1/2 hour before bed better to be doing something relaxing like reading…..

tigerbee Says:

September 16th, 2008, 8:59 am

I wish more people would appreciate quiet time actually. I work in the downtown area of my city and luckily at an art museum, however it is far from quiet. The proliferation of cellphones has killed quiet galleries, libraries and most places that should be quiet in my opinion.
On my lunch break I go outside near the fountains (theres lots in my part of downtown) and listen to the rushing water. Sure, there are still cars rushing by and people chatting on their cellphones but I find the fountain sounds block it out and help me relax a little.
As you can see, not a big fan of cellphones though.

Lauren Says:

September 16th, 2008, 14:28 pm

Great post!
I am all about the early-morning alone time… I think if you’re an introverted person who must work with people, it is necessary for your health to have some solid alone time every day.
I would add swimming to this list… one of the hypnotic things about it is that it’s impossible to really hear anything - like the way you hear people’s conversations in the gym, etc. and it kind of forces you into your own head..

hp Says:

September 17th, 2008, 4:13 am

“too many comments from people plugging their own sites”

I dont like this too.

Is Twittering a Zen Habit? I don’t understand it.

It’s a pity.

Flint Says:

September 17th, 2008, 7:55 am

Ah yes, I enjoyed that same moon.. it’s humbling to think of the experiences like that we all share across the planet :)

Another one to add to the list of good meditational activities is Tai Chi. Like Yoga it is relaxing, and I find it more effective than seated meditation (since I have a tendency to fall asleep from that ;) ).

Michael Moniz Says:

September 17th, 2008, 9:58 am

Silence kills me!! I am always going and talking and thinking. It is so hard for me to shut it down.

A friend told me about how important it is to have some down time. I finally started working on a small scale to reclaim some silence in my life. This post has a lot of great ideas I can add into my routine.

JapanDave Says:

September 17th, 2008, 23:12 pm

Hmm…. wrote a long comment but Safari crashed when I hit submit. That.. was irritating. I’ll try to quickly recap…

Baths not manly? Tell that to the Japanese. Hot springs (onsen) and public baths (sento) are extremely popular here, dare I say even more with men than with women.

And didn’t Hemingway enjoy baths?

On another note, when do you go to bed, Leo? I get to sleep around midnight every day and am up by 530. I’d love to push this even earlier, but I find I get too droopy eyed towards the end of the day whenever I try, even with coffee. (droopy eyed at the end of the day might not normally be bad, but I teach until 10pm so it’s not really nice to fall asleep while in class)

To everyone who mentions that Leo does too many lists or off-topic posts, I have a suggestion. Use google reader to subscribe to the zenhabits rss feed. Set it to only show you new posts and only the headlines. Wait a week and then check the zenhabits posts. Star the ones with headlines that interest you, ignore the rest, then click “mark all read”. Everything disappears, but head to your star folder and the posts you were interested in are there.

I do this with lifehacker. Many posts there I really enjoy, but I find that these are far outnumbered by posts I have no interest in whatsoever. Manually filtering this way only takes about 5 minutes, so it’s not really much of a problem. This takes the hundreds of lifehacker posts a week down to about 5. Works great! I imagine it would work well with zenhabits too.

jackmo Says:

September 18th, 2008, 4:45 am

silence in moderation

Ross Says:

September 18th, 2008, 11:29 am

I love this one: Late nights. If you’re not into early mornings, late nights can be just as peaceful, when everyone’s asleep. Turn off the TV and get away from the computer. Find other ways to spend this golden time, in quiet.

I’m so pleased to hear you say that! I’m just not a morning person, but didn’t really think about shutting things down & using the night time well…

Cheers

Tara Says:

September 18th, 2008, 12:16 pm

Great post, Leo! I was just reminded of the importance of silence (Well, sorta! I heard the sound of the ocean when I had this thought.) just last week while on vacation on the Atlantic coast of the U.S.

Go ahead and get your bath on!

erin Says:

September 25th, 2008, 1:22 am

Great post, Leo. I am such a fan of your blog and your straightforward writing style. I recently wrote an article that sorta ties in with this…
http://hubpages.com/hub/Five-Foundations-for-Inner-Peace. Peace and love!

Sheila Mikulin Says:

October 21st, 2008, 16:04 pm

Leo,
Thanks for this delightful post. I have heard the early morning hours called (4-6 AM) the holy time. Many gurus specifically rise early to mediate at this time.

I have been trying to begin this practice; however, I suffer from insomnia and when I finally fall asleep, it’s already 4:00 AM. So, I’m still working on it.

I do have a morning ritual that I love that includes a prayer expressing my gratitude for a new beautiful day. I also like to get outside and do “shintaido” before yoga.

Thanks again for you wonderful post!

Namaste,
Sheila
http://www.lifevision-soulfulcoach.com/

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