Turn Down The Volume

It's summer: a time we all think of taking a break. (In fact, you can see that I'm taking a break by doing just one newsletter over the summer.) This month's topic will give you ideas on how to take a break, whether you can get away to a vacation paradise or not.

I call it "turning down the volume" on your life.

In our hurried lives, we often wish we had time to do nothing. But, even if that's not possible, here are a few ways to have our time feel a bit less filled. Our world constantly pulls us outside of ourselves. There are the "breaking" news stories demanding our attention, nonstop ads on television, radio, the Internet, and the daily overload of paper mail. One of the easiest and most powerful ways to turn down the volume on your life is to turn away from this and take a media break. No TV, no newspapers, no magazines, no radio, no computers. How long could you go without these? Would the silence drive you crazy?

A media break can be a powerful thing. We forget how pervasive the media has become in our lives. Just leafing through a magazine, which we do to relax, can actually have the opposite effect on us. After all, how does looking at pictures of perfect people, in perfect houses with perfectly new things make you feel? As much as we may be inspired by these images from time to time, they also tend bring up feelings of inadequacy. The images and ads do what they hope to do, which is to make us want things we do not really need. They can make us feel as if what we have is not enough.

Recently, PBS did a special (Frontier House) about current-day families who moved to Montana to live for 5 months as people did in 1870. Obviously, they went without TV and radio. They also went without all the other conveniences we take for granted. What was most interesting was how they felt when they returned to their real lives. They felt that they had too many things and are over stimulated on a daily basis in today's world. They said they were happier when they had less. Less things. Less stimulation. Yes, even the children of the families said they were happier without their video games and TV. Look at a media break as a kind of 'fasting' for your soul. Instead of restricting what you eat, restrict, for a while, what you allow in from your environment. Realize that you have the choice to be selective.

For your media break, I'd suggest you start with a relatively short period of time, perhaps turn off the radio during your drive to work in the morning or not watch the news before going to bed. When you're ready, commit to a day without media. Then, consider turning down the volume on a regular basis during your day. For instance, take voice/e-mail and cell phone breaks -- times when you turn off the cell phone or schedule checking your voice/e-mail only at preset times during the day. Yes, you can do this!

These are some ways that you can 'turn down the volume' and get a bit of space. And what will you do with this space? In our spare moments, don't we usually make up something to do?

All too often we run from quiet moments, turning outwards toward external stimulation. We turn on the TV, phone a friend, or grab a magazine. Did you ever wonder what you were running from? What would happen if you actually allowed yourself to have quiet time? What would you find out about yourself?

Learn to treasure and arrange for empty and quiet moments. See them as moments free of pressure, moments when you can find yourself. Consider what it is that you truly want during these times. You could make some amazing discoveries.

THIS SUMMER'S ACTION STEPS

Schedule your own media break. Choose the media that you will be breaking from (TV, magazines, newspapers, Internet). Make the break as long or short as you think you can handle successfully. Recognize how you feel while you are on your break and how you feel afterwards. Then, decide the changes you could make on a permanent basis that would enhance your life.

Maybe you will:

• Cancel some (or all) magazine subscriptions
• Reduce to subscribing to basic cable (or no cable)
• Watch only certain TV programs (or no TV at all)
• Get the paper once/week instead of every day (or not at all)
• Use your time in the car to think
• Get rid of your cell phone
• Schedule a media break for one day every week (Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating donating your TV and never reading the paper. What I am suggesting is that we have the choice to be more selective about our distractions and that it's healthy to reevaluate our habits every so often.)
• Look for opportunities to enjoy a quiet moment. If you're sitting at a desk or computer reading this newsletter, you might take five minutes right now to close your eyes and relax.
• Practice doing nothing. Take a period of time (even as little as 5 minutes) and do absolutely nothing. When your discomfort rises with being still (and it will), simply breathe and sit still. Over time you'll not only find that it gets easier to relax for longer periods of time, you'll strengthen your ability to shift into vacation mode on demand.

Have a peaceful summer.

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