Over the last week, I've entered a realm of stillness by just being and not being driven by the demands of social media, posting regularly or even writing my weekly blog. Apologies to you if you have been waiting for the next blog! After a busy first half of the year, rest was required to keep up with the demands of driving forward. 

This week's blog is about what the gift of stillness can provide and why doing less can help you become more.

“It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau

 

Does Resting Help?

Sometimes we push ourselves to the limit and strive ahead to help our careers and the people we serve. When we step aside to recover or be still, we may feel misunderstood or be dismissed as being lazy. However, is this true? Who is thinking it and who believes it? The answer to both questions is likely to be you.

Even Stephen Covey, in his renowned book 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People', encourages rest: physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional rest. 

To function at a higher level, rest is what the body requires. Nurturing the mind, soul, and physical body helps prepare it for greater things.

This rest during the summer months, as well as that taken through my personal wellness journey, coaching conversations, and sabbatical reflections, has made one truth crystal clear.

Stillness is not a void. It is a powerful, intentional presence.

Why Stillness Matters

During my stillness, I gained something new that rarely emerges during the constant process of doing. Perspective emerged.

The stillness from purely pausing provided space to:

• Hear the often hidden inner voice
• Connect with what truly matters internally
• Allow time for insight and clarity to emerge
• Lay rest to anxieties and worries
• Reclaim the power of choice 

In being still, we allow the space to notice what we are often too busy to see and feel.

What Doing Less Can Help You Become

Here are some ways that may help you embrace stillness, reflect and allow new growth.

1️⃣ Be More Intentional:

In stillness, you allow time to break your autopilot cycle. You stop doing just for the sake of doing and start acting from awareness.

Journalling 💎: When you’re still, you can ask: “Is this aligned with my values—or am I just staying busy?”

2️⃣ Be More Present:

In stillness, we are drawn to the now, and this is where joy and connection live.

Journalling 💎: “Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life.” – Buddha.  Often, a simple question or a famous quote is enough to help us gain a deeper understanding.

3️⃣ Be More Creative:

In stillness, we provide the fertile ground for new ideas to emerge and insights to be gained.

Journalling 💎: Try a “nothing moment”—5 minutes of doing absolutely nothing. Notice what thoughts, feelings or ideas emerge.

4️⃣ Be More Confident in Your Inner Knowing

When we remove the noise, we start to hear ourselves more clearly

Journalling 💎: When you do less, you make room for your deeper self to surface. What are you hearing that is new?

5️⃣ Be More Grounded and Less Reactive

 When you practice stillness, you help create your anchor that enables you to respond from calm rather than chaos. 

“Wisdom comes with the ability to be still. Just look and listen.” – Eckhart Tolle

Some consider stillness to mean hours spent in meditation or on retreats. But there are simple ways to help create small pockets of quiet time during your day.

• Sitting in the morning light with a cuppa and enjoying what your garden has to offer
• Taking pauses between back-to-back events and simply taking five deep breaths
• Walking without any music or distractions
• Journaling and merely writing without the need to solve
• Creating a timeslot on your calendar to honour your eye energy and slow your pace.

Take a pause and create a moment of stillness. Ask yourself: “Where in my day can I subtract, simplify, or soften?”

This allows you to listen for what's beneath the noise. Dedicate time to creating conscious growth. If you wish to find more ways to just be and grow through working on your inner power, then reach out to me for a free trial of the GEM 💎 Club.

Doing less isn't about giving up -  it's about making space for who you're becoming.