By Brenda Patrick | Source
When silence feels deafening, real healing can begin. Discover how stepping away from screens revealed anxiety, improved focus, and deepened spiritual connection for Brenda Patrick.
At the end of every year, I take a day-long road trip through Nigeria from Port Harcourt to Lagos to spend the long holiday break with my family. For most medical students, this might mean no studying for a while. For me, it meant writing online.
I do content creation as a side hustle, to earn some cash and to distract myself from medical school once in a while. I had all but abandoned my freelance health and lifestyle writing to focus on exams, so I planned to dedicate the holiday to making my presence known on X (formerly Twitter) and Medium. Little did I know I was preparing for a battle I wasn’t cut out to win.
Content creation meant spending significant amounts of time on my phone—I was constantly scrolling, making posts, and engaging other users. I spent hours looking for publishing outlets to pitch to or researching articles and YouTube videos that could help me improve my writing. I even replied to emails while eating.
I mostly didn’t mind; making money doing something that the majority of other people did for free sounded like a good idea to me. But I was constantly occupied and overstimulated and didn’t realize it.
My phone wasn’t just a work tool; it followed me into sacred moments. Every morning, I opened Adobe Acrobat on my phone and read my devotional alongside a digital copy of the Bible. I often felt disconnected from God during prayers. My mind wandered when I tried to meditate on the Word, and sometimes I drifted to social media while reading my devotions.
Over time, I lost focus. I could no longer brainstorm content ideas the way I used to. I felt I hardly heard from God when I prayed, distracted by whatever was happening online.
Beginning the Fast
I decided to start a digital detox based on tips I had seen on social media. I committed to a week of no social media and abstaining from digital devices for a minimum of 12 hours each day.
Day One felt empowering. I was proud of myself for taking a bold step toward changing my life for the better. By Day Two, boredom set in, followed by an uncomfortable silence. Both became excuses to stay in bed longer than usual.
Soon after, fatigue followed. My eyes were constantly tired, and I felt dizzier than expected. I exercised and ate well, so I could not understand where the exhaustion was coming from.
Then I was met with thoughts and emotions I never knew existed. I realized I was anxious about many things—my future, my relationships, my education, and even my writing career. My digital frenzy had kept those feelings buried.
Why Silence Feels Louder Than Noise
I never thought silence could be so deafening until I started my digital fast.
Apparently, silence is a threat to an overstimulated brain. It uncovers hidden anxiety. Even in nature, if the jungle goes quiet, it often means there’s danger afoot. Likewise, the human brain interprets familiar noises as a sign of safety, signaling the body to relax. The mind becomes so used to constant noise that silence can feel unsettling.
But for me, silence eventually became eye-opening.
I found I was more sensitive to my environment. My devotion felt more fulfilling because my mind wandered less. I could pray and actually hear God.
The hidden emotions that surfaced were frightening at first, but I learned to harness them. I turned my anxiety into planning for the new year, which helped me sort out the uncertainties my mind had been worrying about. Creative ideas came in waves about how to build my personal brand on X, which later helped grow my account significantly.
Studies have shown that silence helps improve memory, learning, sensitivity, and emotions. Even though my period of silence started with restlessness, I eventually slept better and fell asleep faster. (Studies suggest the blue light emitted by electronics suppresses melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep.)
For me, silence was not just the aftermath of a digital detox. It became a way to connect with my inner self, an exercise that slowly brought genuine peace of mind.
Coping with Silence
Doing a digital fast for the first time was difficult. I had intermittent urges to reach for my phone and couldn’t help feeling like I was wasting time when I wasn’t creating online content. I tried meditation, but it only intensified the quiet.
What helped me cope was staying busy without digital devices. I kept my mind engaged with simple analog activities: reading a book in print, playing indoor or outdoor games, taking walks while observing my surroundings, or having face-to-face conversations with familiar people or even strangers.
Making Room for Silence
I learned that after a digital fast, deep silence every day may not be possible to achieve, but you can still introduce calm into your life. Here are some methods I’ve developed to keep my mind detoxified:
1. Schedule screen time
Since content creation was my excuse for spending so much time on my phone, I now schedule and limit my social media use. I spend just an hour and a half on X, then turn my attention to something else. I’ve found I get more focused work done within these shorter periods.
2. Turn off notifications
When I need my phone primarily for work and studies, I turn off social media notifications that might otherwise draw me in.
3. Keep the phone out of reach
I put my phone away while eating, working, cleaning, or cooking. This thwarts my urges to check it.
4. Swap digital books for print
Using digital devotionals and the Bible often kept me on my phone longer than necessary. I now rely on print copies instead.
The aim of digital fasting is not to label technology as evil or return to the stone age. It’s about learning to put the phone down to savor your environment and relish the silence. Social media and notifications will always be available later.