The Hour That Can Change Everything: Why You Need Quiet in Your Life
In a world that’s always "on" — news alerts buzzing, conversations pinging in multiple apps, and calendars packed edge to edge — genuine quiet has become a rare commodity.
And I don’t mean sleep. I mean at least an hour a day where you are awake but not doing, not catching up, not thinking ten steps ahead.
You could be completely still but if your mind is racing, you’re pretty much on a mental treadmill.
I’m not a purist when it comes to getting in ‘stillness’. I don’t necessarily need to shut out the world, but I definitely try to take some moments to release the pressure of my day or even ongoing existing projects.
If you’re anything like me, your body probably runs on autopilot for a lot of the day as you move from one task to the next. My day might include writing in the morning, taking my daughter to school, going to the office to work, then picking up my daughter, coming home and then making dinner. To be honest, it’s a constant state of low-grade stress (at best) and over time it’s not just draining, but I can physically feel the build up of stress and inflammation. This can happen for me in a big day, so think about what an entire week of this must do to us.
I can always tell when I’m going through it because I do many more big exhales throughout the day.
If I just went to bed I’d probably feel like I was on a hamster wheel from Monday to Friday. Taking the time to give my awake mind a rest is my way of calming and reassuring myself that I don’t need to be in fight or flight mode.
If you don’t yet have a quiet practice in your life, here are some of the things I’ve learned about creating one through trial and error.
Quiet Isn’t Always Meditation. And That’s Okay.
When people hear “make time for quiet,” they often picture meditation — and for some, that’s perfect.
But not everyone naturally gravitates to sitting still with their eyes closed. Personally, I’ve learned that I need more of a wind‑down ritual — a way to move from the day’s pace into stillness.
For you, it might be a bath, a walk without headphones, or curling up with a warm drink.
For me, it sometimes looks like putting on a comfort show in the background while I clear out photos on my phone. Low‑engagement, no problem‑solving — the mental equivalent of a deep sigh.
Change Your Posture Can Put You in a Different State Mentally
One surprisingly effective trick? Sit somewhere that’s not like your working posiiton.
For me, I sit on the floor rug nestled between the chaise of my lounge and the main seating area.
In your instance, you might want to get off the desk chair. Leave the kitchen island. Find a unique spot — a cozy corner, the back porch, a seat by a window — somewhere your body can signal, we are not in hustle mode anymore.
That small shift cues your brain that this time is different. It’s not for work. It’s not for planning. It’s for you.
Why I Save My Quiet Hour for the Very End of the Day
My ideal quiet hour happens after all the “have to” items are done — when I’ve brushed my teeth, washed my face, and changed into something comfortable. The day is officially over, but I’m not asleep yet.
I like to linger by sipping tea, escaping into a literary fiction, or listening to gentle music. This is when my mind slowly unfurls from the coil it’s been in all day.
Some evenings I realize things I was too busy to think about earlier. Other nights, I realize nothing at all, and that’s the point.
Making Quiet a Non‑Negotiable
Rather than a luxury, quiet is a survival skill in an overstimulated world.
Start with a small, consistent window — even just 20 minutes — where you aren’t required to engage, react, or achieve. Protect it like you would a standing appointment.
And here’s the prescient part: with the pace of life accelerating and the digital noise only getting louder, the ability to claim and protect your own quiet will be one of the most valuable skills you can have.
When you step into that hour of stillness daily you’re reclaiming yourself from the constant pull of the world.