Although we’re well into October, it still feels like the school year has only just begun. This season always brings a whirlwind of activity, but this year, our family upped the ante. My son started driver’s ed, my husband took on an additional master’s class, I began exploring new learning opportunities, and we all dived into a series of lively, loud, and truly fun music events.
Since the school year kicked off, some combination of our family has been at concerts for Green Day, Weezer, The Revivalists, Paloma (my uncle’s amazing polka band!), Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, and Stevie Wonder. I think that’s more concerts than I’ve attended in the last five years combined! Every moment was fantastic, yet these experiences reminded me of how much I value quiet—both around me and within.
As someone who hovers on the introvert-extrovert cusp but leans slightly toward introversion, I need downtime after big, exciting events. My family of homebodies feels the same way. These past few months, I wasn’t quite prepared for just how much quiet I needed to restore my energy. It’s not just about needing a bit of extra sleep the morning after a concert (especially after a Thursday night show); it’s about unplugging from the noise and finding real peace after each event.
Unplugging is essential for me. Sometimes it means missing things (apologies to anyone waiting on a text!), but it ultimately helps me feel centered and balanced. For me, unplugging might mean taking a long walk without distractions or letting my extroverted husband know I need some quiet time (he gets it). This past month has been a powerful reminder of how important it is to honor my boundaries around noise and stimulation. How do you find your way back to calm after life’s loud moments?
Even if you aren’t going to concerts, I’m sure you experience seasons full of noise, too. And noise isn’t always obvious—it’s often that “quiet hum” of responsibilities and mental clutter that builds up around us. It might be the 24-hour news cycle, new school routines, a mountain of emails, endless to-do lists, or the expectations we set for ourselves and others place on us.
Last year, I completed the 2024 COMPASS — a fantastic exercise that encouraged me to set a “word of the year.” I don’t usually go in for that kind of thing since it feels daunting to define a whole year with one word. But the word *wellness* kept surfacing, so I decided to go with it. This year, I’ve found many ways to bring wellness into my life, but in this noisy season, the form of wellness I’m leaning into most is *quiet.*
Finding quiet in our busy world is a challenge, yet it’s essential because, without it, we risk missing out on the most important voice—our own. Life can be so hard, so loud, so busy, pulling us in a dozen different directions at once. I often see this in my clients, many of whom juggle work, childcare, housework, and support for family and friends. Their schedules are packed, and they end up last on their own priority list. But listening to yourself isn’t selfish; it’s like putting on your oxygen mask first.
What would happen if you stepped back from the noise, even for just a few minutes, and truly listened to yourself? For me, these moments bring relief, self-compassion, a chance to regroup, and the clarity to move forward with intention.
