It's an Inside Job

Sometimes, when I wake up early, I think, “I have some time. I’ll pop on Facebook for a few minutes.” 

An hour later, after cycling through that, Instagram, Linked In, and email, I suddenly think, “How did it get to be 7:30?” 

And a growing sense of anxiety is gnawing away in my belly.

I have learned this: Diving into social media—especially first thing in the morning—is not good for mental health. But does tantalizing, dopamine-infusing email or social media suck you into its vortex first thing anyway? 

Experts say it’s best to read, journal, and/or meditate first thing in the morning. It’s the best time to pray: Before the world wakes up. A co-leader of a training I was assisting with recently told the group, “First thing in the morning, you must go inside…before the outside world gets a hold of your outside.”

That’s what it can feel like, right? You start out the day feeling happy and light, and then the world gets a hold of your outsides and suddenly, you are swinging around like a sack of potatoes.

What is on your inside? 

Have you connected with it recently? 

I don’t mean connecting with that unhelpful voice that says “you should be doing more,” or “you weren’t productive enough this weekend,” or “you are not as smart as her.” Alan Cohen, author of dozens of inspirational books, says if you listen closely, that voice is a voice of fear—and it sounds creepy and cold.

I’m referring to that inside voice that knows who you are and what you may need. That voice is more positive—Cohen says it sounds like your best friend. 

What is your best friend inside trying to tell you?

This is exactly why I never minded having a commute, back when I used to drive to an office. Having 20-30 minutes was perfect reflection time before I started my day. And on the way home, it gave me time to process so I didn’t come in the door and have to vomit my thoughts from the day all over my family.

A work commute is actually good for your brain, according to a study by Organizational Psychology Review. They say, “A daily commute to and from work offers people a ‘liminal space’ in which they can recharge after work and ‘mentally switch gears’ to their home lives—something the commute to your couch can’t provide.”

I want more liminal space!

Doesn’t that sound appealing?

Of course, if you live in LA, a commute may not be a good thing. 

But what about those of you who don’t have a commute? What if you walk from your bedroom across the hall to your office? What does your morning commute look like? Going to the coffee maker and getting a cup of coffee? 

That quick trip may not be enough inside time to start the day. This may be where we need to connect with our inside before the outside world gets a hold of our outside.

I crave silence sometimes. I crave that space to see what feelings are there. What might want to show up.

Saint Augustine wrote, “Imagine if all the tumult of the body were to quiet down, along with all our busy thoughts about earth, sea, and air, if the very world should stop, and the mind cease thinking about itself, go beyond itself, and be quite still…”

Imagine that kind of quiet. That kind of silence. That kind of stillness. 

This kind of silence is can only be found in you. In me. It’s an inside job. Go and find it.