How to Quiet Your Mind, Reconnect to Your True Self, (And What Gen-X Got Right)
If you’re part of Gen X, you remember the wild freedom of life before cell phones. You'd leave the house, wander the neighborhood, maybe disappear for hours — and no one knew where you were. No texts. No tracking apps. No endless, “Just checking in, are you okay?” messages.
Honestly? It was kind of glorious.
For many today, that sounds mildly terrifying. But for those of us who lived it, it was a masterclass on how to simply be alone with yourself (and like it).
It was unintentional training on what it feels like to be fully connected to your whole being. No pings. No constant notifications. No one expecting you to answer instantly. The whole of your energy stayed with you. You were present, fully living in the moment (and probably eating some highly questionable 80’s snacks while doing it).
The Tiny Drain You Don't Even Notice
Now fast forward to today. Even when you're not looking at your phone — just carrying it creates a little energetic leak. It's like part of your self is always on-call, waiting for a notification, a message, or the irresistible urge to check if your Amazon package shipped.
It might seem small, but that little pull fragments your ability to fully settle into yourself. Your attention is stretched — just enough that true stillness feels a little out of reach.
Why This Actually Matters
If you feel foggy, disconnected from your intuition, your soul’s guidance, or simply crave more calm in your mind — this is one of the sneaky reasons why.
Every time part of your attention is extended outward (even slightly), it becomes harder to access that calm inner space where clarity lives. Your mind stays busy scanning for what might need your attention next — even when nothing actually does.
Start Small: The 5-Minute Radical Act of Disconnection
The good news? You don’t need a silent retreat or an unplugged weekend in the woods to begin.
🌿Start with something that might feel both wildly simple and strangely difficult:
Leave your phone behind (I know, breathe through it).
Step away from people, screens, notifications — all of it.
Give yourself five minutes where literally no one can reach you.
That’s it. Five tiny minutes. You may notice that your entire energy starts pulling inward again. You become fully contained within yourself — not partially extended to every possible outside demand.
Then Comes... Your Brain
Once the phone is gone, the next distraction pops up like an eager toddler: your thoughts.
Suddenly, you notice how much mental noise has been running in the background: the overthinking, the worrying, the “what ifs” you didn’t even know were swirling around.
And unlike your phone, you can’t leave your mind at home (though let’s be honest, wouldn’t that be nice?).
But this is where the deeper practice begins. When you start noticing your thoughts without diving into every single one, you create space. You shift from being in the thought storm to calmly observing the weather. And that’s where your deeper stillness begins to open.
The Way Back to Yourself (and inner peace).
Both your devices and your thoughts pull you away from your truest self. But when you start gently pulling back from both — even for just a few minutes at a time — something beautiful happens.
Over time, those few minutes grow. What starts as five becomes 10, 20, even 30 minutes of feeling fully present. And you reconnect with the version of yourself that you probably haven't felt since you were out riding your bike, eating Pop Rocks, and not answering to anyone.
💗You might be surprised what you hear when the world (and your mind) finally quiets down.
✨ Want to experience this for yourself — even if just for 10 peaceful, distraction-free minutes?
👉 Grab my free Stillness Starter Practice here: https://stillnessstarterpractice.embodysacredstillness.com/signup