I just had a recent bicycling accident (hit a pothole and broke 8 ribs), so I am having some time to work from home, visit the hospital and other doctors, and slow down a little. (Yes it's very hard to slow down, but i'm reminding myself it's good for me).
After doing a lot of research and consulting on the "overwhelmed employee" and the tremendous need to
After doing a lot of research and consulting on the "overwhelmed employee" and the tremendous need to
create a more humane and balanced work environment, I now have the opportunity to experience it personally.
One big thing that I'm noticing is the importance of quiet. Now that I'm off the road for a while and spending some time at home, I'm noticing that my mind has started to calm and I am thinking more clearly. Of course there's nothing like painful broken ribs to focus the mind, but beyond that I'm reminding myself how important it is to take time for yourself and just "be quiet."
Susan Cain's book Quiet, which talks a lot about how we introverts work, discusses why some people prefer quiet. One her findings is that introverts like quiet because they are hyper-sensitive to the outside world. So they aren't really "shy," they just get "over stimulated" by things that others find fun and interesting.
Today I was waiting at the hospital clinic and spent over an hour in a noisy room, watching lots of injured people try to get comfortable, listening to a TV that was turned up too loud. It reminded me how much it frustrates me to have music and loud TVs on in airports all the time. When I got home I once again found quiet, and my mind moved back toward some of the strategic issues I have to deal with (work related mostly).
The real lesson here, which is one we all need to remind ourselves, is that "mindfulness" and "quiet" are some of our most important tools for health, productivity, family harmony, and success. Every time you feel your mind getting "noisy" or "distracted" by too much stress, overload of information, or just confusion - it's time to be quiet.
In my case, I have been learning to spend much more time listening and less time talking. It's a never-ending challenge, but one which I find extremely valuable. Our minds, bodies, and souls thrive on internal consistency and balance - and we often need time alone, quiet space, and peace to re-balance.
As Susan Salzburg describes in her wonderful book, Real Happiness at Work, "if we take time to be quiet and pay attention, we may develop a completely different understanding of why we do what we do."
Here's my suggestion: When you're in line at the coffee shop, waiting for the elevator, or just walking through the building or waiting for a meeting - take the time to be quiet and settle yourself. When you're in a meeting, slow down and listen before you talk. And when you're at home, take some time to be quiet and enjoy really being with your family.
You'll be glad you did.
By: Josh Bersin
Original Article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20140711203258-131079-the-importance-of-quiet?trk=object-title
One big thing that I'm noticing is the importance of quiet. Now that I'm off the road for a while and spending some time at home, I'm noticing that my mind has started to calm and I am thinking more clearly. Of course there's nothing like painful broken ribs to focus the mind, but beyond that I'm reminding myself how important it is to take time for yourself and just "be quiet."
Susan Cain's book Quiet, which talks a lot about how we introverts work, discusses why some people prefer quiet. One her findings is that introverts like quiet because they are hyper-sensitive to the outside world. So they aren't really "shy," they just get "over stimulated" by things that others find fun and interesting.
Today I was waiting at the hospital clinic and spent over an hour in a noisy room, watching lots of injured people try to get comfortable, listening to a TV that was turned up too loud. It reminded me how much it frustrates me to have music and loud TVs on in airports all the time. When I got home I once again found quiet, and my mind moved back toward some of the strategic issues I have to deal with (work related mostly).
The real lesson here, which is one we all need to remind ourselves, is that "mindfulness" and "quiet" are some of our most important tools for health, productivity, family harmony, and success. Every time you feel your mind getting "noisy" or "distracted" by too much stress, overload of information, or just confusion - it's time to be quiet.
In my case, I have been learning to spend much more time listening and less time talking. It's a never-ending challenge, but one which I find extremely valuable. Our minds, bodies, and souls thrive on internal consistency and balance - and we often need time alone, quiet space, and peace to re-balance.
As Susan Salzburg describes in her wonderful book, Real Happiness at Work, "if we take time to be quiet and pay attention, we may develop a completely different understanding of why we do what we do."
Here's my suggestion: When you're in line at the coffee shop, waiting for the elevator, or just walking through the building or waiting for a meeting - take the time to be quiet and settle yourself. When you're in a meeting, slow down and listen before you talk. And when you're at home, take some time to be quiet and enjoy really being with your family.
You'll be glad you did.
By: Josh Bersin
Original Article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20140711203258-131079-the-importance-of-quiet?trk=object-title
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