I am a husband, writer, and teacher exploring what it means to cultivate mental silence.

One week into my experiment...

One week into my experiment...Last week I decided to stop listening to podcasts in the morning while getting ready for work and replace that time with listening to calming music. I also decided to listen to calming music on my way to work...all in an effort to lower the anxiety I have been experiencing that is coming from what is happening at work this year. I created a great playlist of calming music that includes things from artists like Enya, Radiohead, Bon Iver, and even some piano music. I’ve been listening to the playlist on the treadmill right after I get up and while I’m getting ready for work. My breakfast is a quiet time and my commute to work includes listening to classical music with my Sirius/XM subscription. One way I decided to measure if this was working was to keep track of my BPM before I leave for work and when I get to work. It’s only been three days but here’s what I have so far...Day 1-55 BPM at home, 82 at workDay 2-57 BPM at home, 71 at workDay 3-66 BPM at home, 67 at workNote: My commute to work is only 15 minutes long.I need to keep doing this before I can start to make any generalizations. However, I will say, anecdotally...it’s been really nice listening to the music and keeping podcasts for afternoon consumption. Next week I will share more data and maybe make a few generalizations!

Two weeks into my experiment...

Experimenting with my BPM’s...