Mute The Noise
By: Olga Nesterova
Tags: Anxiety, Mindfulness, Stress Management, Happiness, Entrepreneurship

Let’s be real. This year has been anything but easy and the constant anxiety has been really getting on our nerves. Now as holidays are here and we are a masked-up grocery trip away from another lockdown (at least in NYC), the anxiety has been at its ultimate high. So what do we do? How do we get better?

I realized that I, who was always about all sorts of entertainment constantly seeking knowledge wherever I go, suddenly found peace in complete silence. I prefer reading the news rather than watching or listening to them, I choose reading over watching series and found a new tranquility in writing. On another hand, music does keep me going and I am starting almost every gloomy day with a few rounds of “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind & Fire (hello 80s babies!) on repeat.

And so I sat down to write a few tips to share. Who knows, perhaps this will trigger a positive change in your spirit, will encourage you to find healing in new places and leave those habits that no longe serve you.

1. Mute the noise.

We often refer to this on a metaphorical level, but this time I mean it as literal as it gets. MUTE your CNN, FOX News or whatever you are listening to. You deserve silence and you are entitled to build your own opinion by reading the facts and analyzing them.

2. The series can wait, really. Find peace in peaceful entertainment that boosts your creativity. How about reading, writing or even painting?

3. Stay active. I know it’s hard and nobody will see the fat rolls anyway. Trust me, I know and I do embrace my rolls, but every time I convince myself (which is a miracle itself) to do some type of exercise, I feel energized and, yes, HAPPY all day. Try it!

4. Be selective whom you spend your time with. I get it, family and friends are essential and the only virtual outlet to the social world we departed almost a year ago. BUT, if you really evaluate how you feel after each interaction, you will realize that not all conversations do you well. Oh no, please don’t become distant and rude, just set some boundaries. You don’t need to announce them like one of those fancy guys that announce royal births in England. Do that for you, internally. Maybe some conversations are worth a few texts, not all need to be on video and some are best under a limit of 15 minutes. On the contrary, some connections that truly bring you the feeling of love and contentment need to get a prioritized spot in your schedule. And guess what, after eliminating all the noise, there will be indeed a plenty of space.

5. Be where your feet are. This is the biggest suggestion I can give you at this moment. I’ve heard this saying for the first time from Jesse Itzler who wrote a book “Living With The Monks” after, well, living with the monks for quite some time. That is what they told him and that’s what I repeatedly tell myself when my entrepreneurial mindset starts predicting gloomy future for the projects I am working on.

All in all, please take a moment to breathe, analyze what triggers you and what brings you peace. Double down on the latter. You are worth every happy moment and this mental and physical lockdown will too be over soon.

Stay well and answer the question of the day “What does currently bring you most happiness in your life?”

Would love to hear from you, superstar. Shine on.

P.S. If you’d like to to listen to me discussing this topic and more on my mini podcast Light Of Day, please click HERE.