by Daniela Aneis
Not all people can enjoy the silence, or even a little bit of solitude. But how can you hear your inner voice with all the noise that is coming from the outside world? Doesn’t it seem like sometimes we get caught up listening to others when we should be looking for the answers within ourselves?
And why is it that enjoying some time alone has become a synonymous for being lonely? Loneliness is not the same as solitude.
Truth be told: We already have most of the answers we look for
This may seem like a quote taken from a karate movie but isn’t it true? When has following what other people have told you to do, has come with positive outcomes for you? And how many times have you thought “I should have done what I was planning in the first place”?
In order to avoid feelings of frustration for not being able to make the necessary silence to hear your inner voice, you might just want to follow some of the advices on this particular article.
There are two important things to take into account when listening to your inner voice and making decisions you can live with:
- Listen to what you’re body in telling you: trust your gut!
- Take some time on your own to listen to yourself
Some people have strong emotional responses at a physical level: they usually call it their gut feeling. And the truth is sometimes we can’t quite interpret cognitively what we are experiencing and make sense of it, but it feels plain wrong on your insides. Listen to it and take time off to think things through. When you do make a decision, try to feel as confident as you can about it.
If something feels wrong or off, just step aside. Retreat yourself from the situation. It’s always best to make a well thought through decision than to go by your impulses. Impulses are often misleading.
How to make silence in your head
Here are a few hints on how to really start listening to your inner voice:
- Meditate to clear your mind from all the clutter. Take 30 minutes of your time, go to a quiet room, sit down and concentrate on your breathing, clear your mind of all thoughts and just focus. After this small exercise, making the right decision will feel easier to do.
- Everything must be off. Phone, internet, social networks, TV, radio… Anything that might distract you. How can you hear yourself think when there is too much interference? Although I may have to agree that there are people who seem to think clearer in messy environments or with the TV on…
- Tune in to yourself. How are you feeling? Are you feeling rushed into a decision? Does it make you feel scared? Confused? Analyzing feelings is not just for your psychotherapist, they are also clues to some things we can’t grasp just yet.
- Enjoy some “alone time”. In a nice place, like a garden or a room you love. Take a long relaxing bath. Your inner voice will come to you.
- If that doesn’t work, you can always make a list of pros and cons. This is a very helpful exercise for people who love lists and need to visualize their decisions as well as the possible outcomes.
Image Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/h-k-d/4404284129
