Welcome back everyone to part two of Practical Ways to Create and Achieve Quiet Time! Now in part two I would like to start with the Mental and External Hinderances. I think this should be the first place that we should start because everything always starts in our minds. I think of our minds as the headquarters where decisions are made and so this will be the perfect place to start.
Mental Hinderances
For some of us we may have no objections to the thought of enjoying some quiet time. I am definitely one who enjoys taking some time alone but I am aware that for some other people this could be a bit conflicting in their minds. I think people who are parents or caretakers for others, the thought of Quiet Time could cause them to feel like they are being selfish. Other individuals who work in the workforce and/or pride themselves for never missing a day from work may think they may miss something or the job is very dependent upon them so it is just impossible for you to miss a day. These are example of mental hinderances. These are what we think will happen and with these types of mindsets, we are only creating scenarios that hinder us.
External Hinderances
Then there are those situations where you want to take some quiet time but your children only want you to be consumed with them or your family/ spouse does not think that it is necessary when you share your thoughts on having some quiet time. Also working at home or leaving your already full time job to bring your work home is also a hinderance. These are examples of external hinderances because these are not thoughts but actual people and tangible things that are real which can pressure us greatly into becoming consumed/overworked. These things are actually producing a real voice and are things that bring real consequences you may not want to have to deal with. If you are allowing people to get in your mind and manipulate what is best for you, then maybe you have to face that you are a people pleaser. Sometimes we don’t want to make any emotional waves so we suffer while giving into the demands of everyone else. Often times being over worked +without me time=being burnt out.
So how do we handle these hinderances? How do we take a stand despite these obstacles? Well it all starts in the mind. You really have think about what your needs are and you have to make a decision. What I have learned over time is that the world will not stop because you have decided to separate yourself from it for a period of time. When you take time out for yourself will make you less irritable as well. When I use to work in the medical field we were given mental health days because that type of work does become overwhelming. So you have to become your own advocate.
Now that we have exposed some of the hindrances we can now overcome them. At this time you should think about the reasons you should carve out time to spend alone. Like I mentioned in part one of Quiet Time I use this time to seek the Lord and it’s also good time to get a handle on your day and emotions. When I use to just jump right into the day without my Quiet Time I felt rushed and not in control. I don’t like rushing into my day without at least going over what I have today for that day with at least some coffee 😒. So your reasons may be like mine or if you don’t mind jumping right into the day then you could enjoy your Quiet Time before you sleep. Maybe at that time you could mediate on how your day went and the things you are grateful for and maybe what things you should change. Whatever you do during that time I think it is good to do some reflection on yourself and your situation. Also during this time I make sure that I thank God for all that He has done for me, along with some praise and some personal prayers. This time keeps me grounded.
So now that we have tackled the mental and external hindrance we will tackle how we create a quiet place in part three. I hope that this has brought some encouragement and inspiration on the decision to take some time out for yourself. Thank you again for reading my post! If you have anything to add to this conversation please share or comment. Also subscribe if you have not already in order to stay tune for the next blog post. Until next time, enjoy this rest of your day.
-Kenya Johnson 😁
Coffee and Encouraging Conversation 