What Embracing The Viral 'Quiet Life' Trend Can Do For You

Concepts like minimalism, mindfulness, and even TikTok's "soft life" trend, have made more and more people embrace the quiet life. And it's easy to see why. 

With a culture that's hyper-focusesd on productivity, ambition, success, and being busy all the time, we've become conditioned to believe that sitting down without any background noise for a few minutes is somehow wrong. To-do lists and reminder apps have replaced moments spent in quiet reflection and whatever little time we do get to ourselves, we spend scrolling aimlessly through Instagram or Facebook. Career and life coach, Emily Button-Lynham told Metro, "We're taught by society that we should be doing more. When we stop, there is that sense we're not doing enough and we're not living up to our potential. So carving out a quiet time to slow down sometimes can be quite uncomfortable."

What is a quiet life? According to the viral videos on TikTok, a quiet life is about romanticizing the simple things — doing your makeup mindfully, reading a book curled up in bed on a Friday night, opting to spend a few minutes walking your dog through a lush green scenic walkway, etc. It's about disengaging from social media whenever you can. It's also minimizing distractions and letting go of people or experiences that are not serving you. Unsurprisingly, embracing this trend can do a lot for you — emotionally, mentally, and even physically.

A 2006 study published in the British Medical Journal found that as little as two minutes of silence can notably reduce a person's heart rate and blood pressure levels. As clinical psychologist Carolina Estevez shared with Bustle, "Living a quieter life can lower stress levels, as there are fewer things competing for our attention, and we can learn to focus on the present moment."

Another experiment published in Brain Structure and Function, which studied the effects of silence on a group of mice, found that two hours of quiet could promote the growth of new cells in the hippocampus. Think better memory, learning ability, and effective emotional regulation. Think about the last time you lost your temper. Were you busy rushing through the day ticking off items from a to-do list? Psychologist and author, Meg Arroll told Metro, "Our minds need periods of quiet time to process events, feelings and experiences and to recover and build strength." She added that constantly using distractions to fill our time also prevents us from effectively healing from any emotional pain we might be feeling. 

Furthermore, when you train your mind to slow down, you're also training yourself to notice the simple joys in your life. You learn to become mindful of them and grateful for them. If there was ever a viral trend to embrace, "quiet life" might be the one. Here's how you can go about doing that. 

For an introvert, the idea of a quiet life might be more than appealing. But for others, practicing this viral trend might take some conscious effort at first. But, as Estevez shared with Bustle, a quiet life doesn't equal a life without any "dopamine-inducing pleasures." She explained, "Instead, it means finding a balance between these types of activities and slower-paced activities that provide mental clarity."

Find out why you want to try the quiet life. Do you want to become a less anxious person? Do you want to be less reactive and more mindful as a person? Your motivation is the important first step. Then, you can start by switching off social media for a few minutes or even an hour or two each day. Whether we're conscious of it or not, constantly replying to messages or taking in new information while doom-scrolling can negatively impact our mental health. Engaging in mindfulness practices that encourage you to romanticize your life is another way to embrace the quiet.

Purposefully seek out activities or people that would help you practice the trend — it could be reading a book, spending time in nature, or grabbing a cup of coffee with a close friend. And when your mind starts to make you feel guilty for slowing down, take a few deep breaths. Contrary to what you might think, it is possible to train your mind to think differently.