Blissfully quiet. That’s what it is in our Oconomowoc home right now as I write this and I’m savoring every last moment. As a mother of four boys it is rarely this quiet in our home. The lack of noise allows me to focus and reflect and I crave it.
I’m coming off of a rather loud weekend spent with 12 other women in a shared space. I finished it up photographing a newborn session. What I learned from this back-to-back experience is yet another reason why I love being a newborn photographer. While taking pictures of newborns requires a lot of patience and these sessions are more “work” as they take quadruple the amount of time of a standard family, maternity or senior session, one of the many reasons I love them so much is for the most part they are quiet. It is calming. It’s a time when I am able to focus on one thing and one thing only without any noise-related interruptions. It’s when I am able to get my zen on and I love it!
I am a multitasker. All moms are, right? Everyone is rushing to and from obligations, making phone calls on the way, checking off to-do lists, squeezing in errands, exercise time, food preparation…the list goes on and never ends. When do we just sit around in a noise-free room and reflect? Ain’t nobody got time for that! I’m first to admit it. If I have a few minutes with “nothing to do” (i.e. I’m standing in line somewhere waiting my turn) you’ll probably see me checking my phone to catch up on what I’ve missed. Again, multitasking and filling my head with noise.
I recently read an interesting article in The Huffington Post about how noise affects your health. It mentions that noise is especially disruptive for multitaskers, increasing distraction, causing stress and reduced motivation. It also said that some people will turn to music to drown out the noise (GUILTY!) but that it is not a good answer as it impairs your ability to recall information.
I once had a roommate in college that preferred to have the television on for “background noise” whenever she was at home and couldn’t go to sleep without having it on. She told me she didn’t like being alone and the noise made her feel safe and at ease. I was a lot younger then, without children filling my days with noise, and admittedly could cope better with that. I think if I lived with her now I would probably go a little crazy. Although she’s not exactly banging on my door requesting a living arrangement with me either!
Anyone else feel they could use a little more quiet in their life? How do you find silence in a world full of noise and what do you do with it if you do find some?
