Friday Feature: The Sweet Sound of Silence

I like quiet. The older I get, the more distracting I find even simple household noises, especially when I am trying to concentrate.

I sometimes wonder if retiring has exacerbated this. With my daughter at school and my husband at work, the house is quiet during the day, allowing me to immerse myself in not only my work but the peacefulness of a quiet house as well. This is when I'm most productive.

But...is it normal to want this much quiet?

When I stumbled across this article ("The Busier You Are, the More You Need Quiet Time") from Harvard Business Review, I immediately identified with it. Not just with the idea of getting off social media in order to get away from its noise, but this as well:

"Recent studies are showing that taking time for silence restores the nervous system, helps sustain energy, and conditions our minds to be more adaptive and responsive to the complex environments in which so many of us now live, work, and lead."

Ah. So...maybe it's not me.

Maybe I'm not old and crotchety after all.

Maybe my mind -- and my body -- knew what they needed.

Does yours?