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Practicing being quiet on your own can help you be more quiet when you’re around people. One way to get some great practice being quiet is to find a hobby where you have to be quiet and preferably by yourself. Try painting, creative writing, yoga, song writing, stamp collecting, bird watching, or really anything at all that requires you to be quiet and to not say whatever is on your mind.  Reading is also great for helping you be quiet as you process the words in front of you. Try going at least an hour without saying anything while you’re pursuing your hobby. Then go two hours. Then three. Think you can go a whole day without saying a word? You may be talking a lot – some may say too much – because you feel like you have so much energy and don’t know how to release it. So, find another outlet for saying all of the things on your mind that can help you get rid of all that extra stuff going on in your head. Working out – especially running – can help you get some great exercise while getting rid of that extra energy. So can taking long walks or cooking. Find whatever works for you. Talking online only fills your life with noise and most of what you say isn’t really that important. If you really wanted to talk to your friend, you would do it over the phone or in person instead of incessantly typing away at your computer, wouldn’t you? The next time you have the urge to go on g-chat to see what your 28th best friend is up to, close your computer and go for a walk instead. Better yet, take a break from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and any other social media you may be using all too often. These sites are filled with noise, with people trying to impress each other, and with meaningless words that you may feel compelled to respond to. If you’re really addicted, then spend just 10-15 minutes a day on all of your social media sites instead of spending your time checking them every chance you get. Wouldn’t you rather hear what your closest friends have to say in person instead of hearing what perfect strangers have to say to the world? Turn off all of the extra voices that you hear and focus only on the ones that matter. Make a habit of writing in your journal at the end of every day or week. This can help you write down those extra thoughts, stay quiet, and feel like you’ve gotten everything off your chest without telling your fifteen best friends about it. You can just write about what happened during your day, which will lead you to ask more questions and to write about the deeper things on your mind. You’ll be amazed by how much quieter you may be if you write just one journal page each day. Meditating is a great way to turn off your mind and to keep your body and being quiet. Take 10-20 minute every morning to find a comfortable seat in a quiet room, close your eyes, and focus on your breath rising and falling from your body. Focus on relaxing your body one part at a time and notice what you hear, smell, feel, and sense as you’re sitting there. Banish any serious thoughts and focus just on being in the moment and appreciating the quiet, and you’ll be on your way to having a more centered, quiet day. Meditating can keep you from feeling overwhelmed by giving you more control over your mind and body. Take a walk. Go to the beach. Look at all of the beautiful plants in the garden on the other side of town. Take a weekend trip to the woods. Do what you’ve gotta do to get closer to nature. You’ll be awed by the beauty and power of something so much more permanent than you are and you’ll feel all of your doubts and words melt away. It’s hard to keep chatting on and on about what you think will be on the next math quiz when you’re standing at the base of a beautiful mountain that has been in existence since the beginning of time. Plug some nature time into your weekly routine. You can even bring your journal out to nature and write down your thoughts there. Sure, music may make it more fun for you to study, to go running, or to commute to work. However, music can create extra noise that makes you feel a bit more chatty, frantic, and excitable. Classical music or jazz can be okay, but loud music with catchy lyrics can create noise that will bounce around in your head and keep you from feeling calm and in control of your day. If you’re a naturally loud, talkative person, then you won’t be Miss Quiet overnight. But if you make an effort to talk a little bit less each day, to pursue hobbies and activities that make you more quiet, and to focus on being a good listener instead of a good talker, you’ll be able to become more quiet sooner than you think. So sit back, have patience, and enjoy the feeling of all the extra noise draining from your head – and from your vocal chords.
Find a hobby that requires quiet. Release your energy in other ways. Fight the temptation to chat online. Take breaks from social media. Write in a journal. Meditate. Appreciate nature. Turn off the music. Give it time.