Finding Quiet in a World of Noise
As embodied souls, we live in a world of noise. We are surrounded by it. The airwaves are full of it, and our hearts and minds are too. Even if we were to go somewhere like Bunbeg, that is totally isolated and quiet, if we have our smartphone with us, we cannot totally escape noise. It's only one notification away.
There is a real argument for digital detox. Much in the same way as we escape the effects of caffeine by drinking decaf, and removing chocolate from our diets, there is only one away to remove the pervasive influence of a world of noise.
This epiphany hit me on the train to Bangor one afternoon. I was in the midst of producing a comic anthology, juggling the coordination of creative teams who were all bringing mine and a friend's stories to life. At that time my world had been manic. I was the social media guy for our brand. I'd sourced these artists on Reddit, and pulling together a total of 6 teams from some 13 different countries had been a monumental effort. Google translate helped a lot! But I'd been struggling to tie down the artist for my main story, and then it happened. The artist in question started being extremely difficult and couldn't decide if he was in or out of the project. Something in my mind just decided I couldn't take it anymore, and there on the train, I had an anxiety attack.
I loved what we were doing, but this was not healthy. When I calmed down, I just knew things had to change. We got the comic produced, with a different artist (who actually had worked for Marvel) and it was way better than I could ever have hoped for. But I had changed.
I began to detox my phone use. I removed apps I didn't need or that were addictive. I limited notifications to only the most necessary apps. I culled my friends lists on the socials to people I actually KNEW. And since then, this has been a practice I do every 6 months or so. I decided that I needed to protect my mental health.
After a while, I stepped away from comic production (with much sadness) but in doing so, I also stepped away from the rat race of the algorithms of Instagram and Facebook. If we are serious about finding tranquility, in finding quietness, it may require some drastic moves. Now when I step out into the quiet to photograph, my phone goes on 'focus' mode. I am only able to see messages or receive calls from emergency contacts like my parents or my wife.
As well as that I deliberately began to introduce the idea of a day of solitude into my life every month. Same idea. Since the start of this year, I only bring things that do not clutter my head. Nothing distracting. Oh, and my camera. I am starting to see now that my camera can be an amazing tool for stillness and tranquility. Taking time to explore my surroundings slowly and with intention has helped me to no end.
What about you? Do you have any tricks or practices that you employ to help keep your mind calm? Being a person of faith, I of course, have another great source of peace, my relationship with God. But I understand that many people who are reading this may not have this. But I also realise that I am not here to force anyone to accept what I believe. I'm always open for a chat, and can respect another person's decision to not engage in that kind of conversation.
But all I can say is that I have never felt more at peace even in the midst of times of personal turmoil and difficulty. I have gotten to really look forward to my monthly day of solitude. Sometimes it doesn't last all day, but I am trying not to be legalistic about it, however, I am intentional and before I head out, I take time the night before to plan what I take with me, where I am going and what I hope to achieve. This month I had an excellent day around Greyabbey and I will be sharing my photos from that trip soon.
It was a step into the quiet. Leaving the noise behind and my soul was much richer for it. I would love to hear from you if you do something similar or what works for you.
In tranquility,
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