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Stop Filling in the Blanks
In today’s fast-paced world, silence has become a rare commodity. We’ve grown so accustomed to the constant hum of activity that the instant we find ourselves waiting in line, sitting in traffic, or with a spare moment, we impulsively reach for our phones, turn on the TV, or blast music — anything to avoid facing the discomfort of empty space. As spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle observes in his book The Power of Now, “All the misery on the planet arises due to a personalized sense of ‘me’ or ‘us’,” which is constantly reinforced by the mind’s compulsive thinking.
However, science is now validating what spiritual traditions have long known — that this constant mental stimulation is taking a toll on our well-being. A study published in Science found that participants would rather administer electric shocks to themselves than be alone with their thoughts for just 6–15 minutes.1 This aversion to “blank” time keeps us trapped in a state of chronic stress and unease, as we never allow our nervous system to fully relax.
The antidote to this modern malaise is mindfulness — the simple yet profound practice of bringing our attention to the present moment without judgment. As Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches in The Miracle of Mindfulness, even the most mundane tasks like washing dishes become opportunities for meditation when approached with full awareness. “If while washing dishes, we think only of the cup of tea that awaits us… we are sucked away into the future. Life is slipping away,” he writes.
Despite the growing popularity of mindfulness, many busy people still believe they don’t have time for it. But the beauty of this practice is that it can be seamlessly woven into our existing routines through small, doable steps like:
• Using waiting time to focus on your breath rather than reaching for your phone
• Eating one distraction-free meal a day with full sensory awareness
• Taking a “noticing walk” on your lunch break, observing sights and sounds
• Spending a few minutes with a guided meditation app before bed
These micro-practices may seem simplistic, but their cumulative effect over time is profound. Studies have linked mindfulness to reduced rumination, stress, emotional reactivity, increased…
