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During the holiday season I was at my grandparent’s apartment baking Christmas cookies with my grandma.  We were in the kitchen baking away and my grandpa was sitting in his recliner in the family room. Their apartment is open concept, so all three of us were able to interact while baking.  My grandma and I were baking pizzelles. For all you non-Italians out there, they are a delicious waffle cookie, but they take HOURS to make.  

In the beginning of baking we chatted non-stop, but after about 30 minutes it was intermittent conversation.  At one point I looked over at my grandpa and he was sitting in his chair, in the silence. There was no TV on, no radio on, and no conversation.  He was just sitting with the silence.  

I observed a sense of calm about him in that moment.  He looked so peaceful sitting and reflecting. He did not look bothered, he did not look upset, he looked content and even happy with a slight smile on his face.  But this made me confused and immediately uncomfortable. I know it sounds strange, but something in that moment gave me an uneasy feeling. So I told him that he could put the TV or radio on while we were baking.  Both he and my grandma said simultaneously, “no, we don’t need any noise.”  

My initial reaction was, “Wait what, you are okay with the silence? I don’t think I am.  We need something on in the background.” So I immediately started talking again and filling every second with questions, comments, bringing up random things just to make conversation.  Then when I ran out of things to talk about, I put Christmas music on in the background.  

Despite the conversation and my impulse to put music on, I couldn’t help but think about what they both said.  “We don’t need any noise.” I kept replaying it over in my head. Then it hit me! When they were growing up they didn’t have the TV, internet, or the cell phones as a constant distraction.  This allowed for silence and reflection. My grandparents are comfortable with stillness. To them, everything else is just “noise.”

Then my mind instinctively asked the question, how have electronics and technology affected our mental health today?  We are so overstimulated by this constant “noise” that we never stop to listen to our own voice. We never stop to reflect on our thoughts or our emotions.  We are too busy focusing on everyone else and everything else. This is just creating more anxiety, depression and stress.

My grandparents taught me an amazing lesson that day, my grandpa specifically. He was exuding this sense of calm and doing it so naturally.  He is a perfect example of how sitting in silence helps you disconnect from everything external.  Silence helps you step back from the “noise” in order to focus on yourself. We need this more than ever today!

Taking time to connect with yourself increases your awareness and allows you to understand what you are thinking and feeling.  It helps you to decrease stress, anxiety, and depression. It allows you to take some control back in your life. Silence provides you the opportunity to be in the present moment.  

Since that day in December I have been thinking about this and trying to apply it to my life (because clearly I need this too).  It is definitely not easy, but that does not mean it is not worth it. In the silence I have become more aware of my thoughts, felt more gratitude, and have gotten amazing ideas for my business.

Let’s all take a page out of my grandparent’s book. Try this! This lesson has truly made a difference in my life.