A Quiet Place
by Stephen Doherty
November 9th, 2025
“Quiet the mind and the soul will speak.” -Ma Jaya Sati
In his fabulous bestseller “Deep Work”, author Cal Newport refers to an important action he labeled “embracing boredom.” This concept involves training the mind to focus during challenging tasks by tolerating the discomfort of being bored. Newport suggests that being bored can actually enhance creativity and focus on tough problems. Instead of seeking distractions, individuals should practice being comfortable with boredom and use it as a catalyst for deep periods of concentration and focused thinking.
For me, there is nothing I look forward to more than my daily 30-45 minutes of just sitting, contemplating, reviewing, and mulling over the things in my life that matter. This has resulted in an unprecedented strengthening of my mental and emotional health as well as providing an important, undistracted framework for problem-solving and creative exercise and expression. I am amazed at the clarity and cerebral purity that occurs when you temporarily eliminate all of the background “noise” and distractive, technological fodder – if only for a few minutes a day.
Periods of deliberate and intentional relaxation are essential for sustaining a sharp focus and supporting mental health and psychological resiliency. In a culture that often glorifies constant productivity, pausing to rest may feel counterintuitive, yet research and lived experience consistently show that restorative breaks enhance rather than hinder our effectiveness. When we step away from ongoing demands, we give the mind a chance to reset. This reset reduces cognitive overload, allowing us to return to tasks with renewed clarity and sharper concentration.
Be advised, I am not talking about transcendental meditation. TM is a very specific type of intense focus and breathing-oriented concentration. While I believe there are tremendous benefits from TM, I – personally, have never been able to devote the intense focus required to master it. My own periods of deliberate relaxation allow me to focus on all the meaningful things in my life – not ignore them in favor of some higher form of distractive absence. It’s like resistance training versus cardio training. Both provide meaningful fitness outcomes but through very different practices and techniques. The only commonality is that they both get you to a better place.
Ultimately, periods of relaxation are not a luxury but a vital component of a healthy and productive life. I remember, as a child of the 60s, seeing pictures of the horrific air pollution plaguing cities in America and worldwide. In today’s Japan and China, there are days when you still can’t see ten feet in front of you and are forced to wear masks to protect yourself from inhaling dangerous chemicals and air-born poisons.
I would argue that today’s cornucopia of technological distractions is regularly distributing torrents of psychological sewage, emotional carcinogens, and distractive smoke screens that make it nearly impossible to break away and enjoy the many positive benefits of serenity born of quiet and calm. As Peter Attia brilliantly asserts in his own best-selling book, “Outlive” “If you don’t have mental health – you don’t have any health”. Truer words have never been spoken.
Luckily for all of us, the solution is simple and readily available. Just wander off to someplace quiet, take a seat and a deep breath, and your brain will flip a switch and let your mental faculties operate smoothly and freely. In short order, it will change the way you see the world and how you choose to conduct your life as ideas and solutions galore will emerge from the peace and serenity you have created for yourself. It’s magical – and who couldn’t use a little more magic in their lives?
“In stillness lives wisdom. In quiet you’ll find peace.
In solitude you’ll remember yourself.” –Robin Sharma
