Driving in Silence

In the vein of trying to do only one thing at a time, I noticed that I have opted to do something interesting each morning when I drive to work. I don’t turn the radio on or listen to podcasts. Instead, I let myself sit in and be comfortable with the silence of my car and commute.

It started one morning after a particularly good meditation when I just wanted to sit in silence for a little bit longer. I liked that so much, that I guess I unconsciously decided to do that the next day and the next.

Sitting in that silence let me really switch my brain from home mode to work mode. I was able to mentally build a to-do list and think through tasks that I needed to accomplish that day without any anxiety, stress, or distraction.

I have also found myself really enjoying soaking in the early morning commute. Focusing on driving. Feeling the power of my car and noticing how the sky slowly brightens bit by bit as I make my way to the office.

It’s been like an additional 30 minutes of meditation and I have been arriving to work refreshed and feeling so ready to conquer the day. I find that I am able to more readily dive into work. I don’t need as much of an initial warm up as I used to before I started tackling the day’s tasks. It’s like my brain is actually being allowed to warm up naturally and it’s making it easier to get the day started.

I don’t know if anyone else has experienced this, but sometimes the sound of music or podcasts is too much early in the morning or right after the work day has ended. Everything feels too loud. It’s like I have a pair of headphones in and some kind of white noise is just screaming in my ears.

Man…even describing it I am getting the ringing in my ears and can feel my shoulders tensing.

Taking this meditative, just focus on driving time at the start of the day has made some of that weird white noise not as present at the end of the day. It makes it easier for me to leave the office and switch from work mode to home mode. I can leave the office at the office.

And it’s great.

I know it might sound like an extreme and foreign idea to a lot of people, but that silence in my car in the morning I feel, is making a great positive impact on how my overall day goes.

I would encourage you to try it if you feel like you have a hard time switching from work to home and back again. It might be the thing that makes all the difference.

Photo Note: Traffic was at a standstill. I wasn't being unsafe.