Silence Can Help Us Control Internal Distractions at Work

Last time we discussed the importance of managing external distractions at work. Now it's time to consider internal distractions.

Internal distractions are all those unbridled thoughts and emotions that take our attention away form the task at hand. Even those of us who have developed our powers of concentration may suffer these distractions. In my own case, my mind can take off on flights of fancy unless I keep lid on things. As for emotions, I've worked hard over many years to keep these in check. 

Concentration on our work requires a stable mental and emotional state. It's important that we do whatever we can to rein in unruly thoughts and feelings before they spin out of control. 

We won't spend time on examples here. If you have no problem with this, great. If you do, make sure you work on this until you can settle yourself reasonably well on a consistent daily basis.

However you choose to tackle this, silence can and should be an important component of your efforts. While workplaces vary greatly when it comes to overall ambience, can we agree that a relatively quiet workplace provides us with the mental "space" we need to better concentrate on the task at hand?

Having worked in a variety of settings, I've got some perspective here. For example, my current situation - running a small business from a home office sans employees - there's lots of silence throughout the day. And it's basically welcome. My work involves a fair amount of research and analysis. The silence frees up my brain to focus on whatever the current project requires. Noise interrupts, therefore distracts from my line of thought. And that line of thought typically brings me from problem to solution. (I solve things a lot of the time.) 

When I talk to clients (phone or Zoom), the less ambient noise the better. I've heard that some who have taken to working at home since the Pandemic Mess began in early 2020 have problems controlling noise. Our children are grown, but if you have littler ones at home it's likely not the easiest thing in the world to muzzle them. I suppose it's a problem for some. On the other hand, I think many of us can build up our power of concentration such that the noise really doesn't interfere too much. Having done this, I can attest to the possibility. If you're not able to, maybe keeping the door closed, or soundproofing the office might be the answer.

On the other hand, noise can be an integral and necessary component of your workspace. I once worked as a musician, typically in a band that played in catering halls for weddings, Bar Mitvahs and the occasional company party. No silence there. It was one continuous wall of sound. The interludes in the music we played was filled with all sorts of noise from the party-goers. I'm sure you can imagine.

You can list other occupations where noise accompanies the performance of the job. Athletic competitions come to mind, but you can find your own examples.

But even in those circumstances where work is surrounded by noise, silence plays a role. As a musician, my practice time pursued in a calm, quiet atmosphere. An athlete trains in various ways, but serious training requires concentration and a minimum of distractions. I think the same applies to all "noisy" sorts of work. At some point, at some level, times of calm and relative silence are needed for planning, learning new skills, and plain old clear thinking.

On the other hand, even in what should be a basically silent work environment, there can be exceptions here. For example, if we're conducting a "brain-storming" exercise, we don't want people sitting silently staring at each other. So it's the counter-productive noise that's unwelcome.

So silence indeed plays an important role at some point and level of our work life. Add to this the importance of listening in whatever work you do - whether to a boss, a colleague, a customer. To listen, at the very least we ourselves need to be silent. 

And here in the the next entry in the Rule of St. Benedict we might get a sense of the important role silence plays in the the order and peace of the monastery as well as the good of the soul:

"Monks should practice silence at all times. But especially at night. This rule applies generally, whether the day be a fast day or a non-fasting day. On the latter, as soon as they have risen from supper, let them all sit together in one place, and let a brother read...let four or five pages be read, or as much as time permits...And so, being all assembled in the one place, let them say Compline. And when they come out of Compline, let there be no further permission for anyone to say anything...unless speech be made necessary by the arrival of guests or the abbot give someone an order. But, even so, this speaking should b done with the utmost gravity and the most becoming restraint."

St. Benedict urges silence "at all times." Given his understanding of the need to explain this in detail, as well as his general theme of "moderation" in all things, he expands on the general statement. There are certain times during the day when silence is absolutely mandatory. At other times, a more general practice of silence leaves room for the practical necessities that must be addressed in the complex enterprise of a monastery. 

We non-monks might consider how silence might play a bigger role in our lives, albeit perhaps a lesser one than is required in a a monastery.

One thing I think we can all see here and agree on is that it stands to reason that silence greatly enhance our ability to concentrate on our work. It will foster and atmosphere of order on the job. And it will contribute greatly to stability in the workplace.