Don’t Underestimate the Power of Silence by Harvard Business Review.
By Vijay Eswaran
For Harvard Business Review
Illustration: Getty Images/pressureUA
Summary.
Many of us have forgotten (or even fear) quiet. We live in a world full of noise and chatter. A world wherein our daily routines are inundated with distractions and responsibilities. This practice, called the Sphere of Silence, is a 60-minute routine that can help you stay grounded, focused, and most importantly, remain hopeful when your mind wants to spiral. There is one ground rule: Follow the below steps in complete silence.
- The first half hour is broken down in three 10-minute segments. Spend the first 10 minutes writing your short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals. Then, dedicate the next 10-minute set to assessing your progress on the goals you set the previous day.
- Use the final 10 minutes to take note of any unmet goals and assess the reasons why you have not achieved them. This will motivate you to focus on moving forward.
- Spend the next 20 minutes reading a book, something that teaches you new things or enriches your mind with practical knowledge.
- Spend the first 10 minutes of this step reading a chapter of your book. Then, use the remaining 10 minutes to write down a summary of what you just read by hand to strengthen your ability to process the information, and learn something new.
- Use these last 10 minutes for self-reflection and, if you believe in a higher power, for communicating with God, the Universe, your spirituality, or whatever you prefer. This part of the practice allows you to harness your calm during stressful situations and mindfully choose to stay out of negativity.
Last year, the world went into lockdown and our lives changed dramatically. “I’m so tired” was already a status symbol, but burnout and it’s long-lasting impact on our health, has increased. The lines between work and play have blurred.
This may be most true for the youngest generations.
Students have not been back in a physical classroom for more than a year, new graduates are stepping into an economic downturn, and the workforce itself is changing. Even as some regions slowly open up, the pall of uncertainty reigns.
I work closely with many young people as a part of my personal mission to guide the next generation of leaders, who I believe have the potential to shape a better world for the future. Over 50% of my company’s workforce compromises millennials, and in the pre-Covid world, we offered an ongoing in-person mentoring program. Over the last year, many of my colleagues and mentees have reached out to me expressing feelings of frustration and angst.
My advice to them always begins with reassurance. Though many of us think we are alone in our feelings, they are not unusual or uncommon. To get through a difficult phase over which we have no control, we can focus on something over which we do have control.
You have probably heard these “words of wisdom” before. But do you know how to apply them?
For over 30 years, I’ve started my day with a 60-minute routine to help me stay grounded, focused, and most importantly, remain hopeful when my mind wants to spiral. I call it the Sphere of Silence.