Something happened to me recently and I was reminded again of the “power of speaking less”.

I was feeling heartbroken because of some issues of my own. It is just that when someone you love misbehaves and takes you as a burden in their life it feels bad. I felt the same yesterday.

Whole day I couldn’t talk much. I was a bit feverish and also was affected by pharyngitis. But this day had something good to offer in disguise. “The power of speaking less”.

I had almost forgotten about it. The first time I started practicing silence mindfully was when i read the book SILENCE by THICH NAHT HANH. I was so much in love with its concept and was practicing it daily. On those days I felt energized and in control of myself.

But I guess as the days passed by I had forgotten about it. And today I was reminded of it again. The cause for my silence today may be something else (bitterness in my heart and my health issues) but the effect was quite the same.

After staying silent for most part of the day and speaking only when necessary I was feeling so much more relaxed. There was a sense of calm in me.

It also made me write my blog which otherwise I would have put off doing something else. Today I would like to share with you all the same. The power of speaking less and its benefits.

Sitting in silence is one of the most underrated forms of meditation if you ask me.

Constantly jabbering useless things, complaining about your situation, explaining your ideas to others who can offer no help to you, sparking up useless conversations just for the sake of pleasing others or always being vocal about your opinions on each and every topic are some of the worst ways you can create disharmony in your life.

In other words, speaking more than required will always do you more harm than good.

I have tried to lay down some of the key benefits that silence can bring in your life. If you want to know them, you can have a look.

I cannot guarantee that it will work for you, but it sure does for me and has also worked for some of my friends whom I had recommended the same.

So, without any further delay let us dive into the benefits that staying silent and speaking less has to offer us.

The Power that comes with speaking less.

1. Speak less and save yourself from trouble

Can you recall any moment in your life where you may have spoken too much which led you into trouble?

I guess we all have been to such a place where we regret giving away too much. Sometimes our words are used against us in the most unexpected and ugliest manner.

We may have said something nonsense in the flow of the conversation or bad mouthed someone at the heat of the moment. All these things can lead us into a big trap where our character may be at question.

So, it is better for us to practice silence around people whom you cannot trust totally or with whom you are not that close.

This can only do us good.

2. Speaking less can save your relationship

This part is applicable especially when you are in an argument which happens in any relationship.

Whenever we are in an argument, it is best to keep quite especially in argument with your loved ones.

When we are arguing over some issue it usually turns into a competition of “who can hurt the other person more” rather than “what is right and what is wrong.”

We lose track of the discussion and facts and start focusing on making the other person feel bad by saying anything hurtful that comes to our mind.

This leads to lifelong scars. Our hateful words may shatter the other person and we may lose them forever.

There is no coming back from that point. Even if this person forgives you, he/she will always have this image of you in their heart which may get triggered from time to time.

Staying silent can not only save your relationship but can also make you a more lovable person. Read the next point to see how

3. Speak less and become an awesome listener

Who doesn’t like being heard? I observe people around me so full of opinions about each and every topic and I think to myself “I hope I do not act that way.”

Having an opinion is not bad. In fact it is good and shows that you are a sorted person. But is speaking and sharing your opinion necessary every time?

And whom do you share your opinions to? To a bunch of people who have their opinion ready to fire back at you.

Sometimes I just try to stay silent however strong the urge may be to barge in when someone is sharing their views.

And I have only found peace and enlightenment at the end of such times.

When we just listen to others speak their opinions, their likes and dislikes, their thoughts, try to understand them without judgement, it just gives us more knowledge about that person or about the topic or provides you with a fresh perspective of things.

Not only that, but by speaking less and focusing more on listening to them you make the other person feel heard and loved. This makes you a good listener and a lovable person

In anyway staying silent is a win win situation here.

As I say

“You create a whole new world for someone just by letting them into your thoughts”

In this case they create a world for you to explore by sharing their thoughts with you.

4. Speak less and save more energy

Earlier, I worked as a teacher which involved a lot of talking to be done. I would be so exhausted by evening that I just wanted to communicate through sign language without having to use my mouth.

It seems funny now but I actually used to be that much exhausted.

With the change in my profession, I am now required to talk much less and I feel energetic even after my day ends.

This leaves me with enough energy so that I can have quality conversation with my mother and my loved ones.

I love my conversations with my mom where we talk about our day and anything in general. It leaves me feeling happy and fresh.

All these things can be made possible by the simple act of speaking less. I believe everybody should give this a try experience the benefit themselves.

5. Speak less and gain control over your life

Speaking less makes you feel in control of your situation.

When we talk too much, we tend to forget about our tasks for the day. Allowing ourselves to be sidetracked by trivial discussions can lead to a loss of concentration on our objectives.

And when we lose focus, we seldom take actions that could lead us closer to our goals. And when we don’t take actions, we lose control over our life.

Just a simple act of speaking less will help you get back a sense of control over your life.

6. Speaking less gives you an aura of mystery

Are you interested in having a mysterious aura? If yes, then speaking less might just work for you.

When we speak less, we automatically give away less information about us.

This leads to people being curious about you. You leave them wanting more of you. Speaking less compels them to want to know more about you.

I am aware that looking mysterious may not be the goal for everyone, but speaking less does give you an aura of mystery in case you are wanting that.

7. Speaking less makes you a wiser person

Speaking less delays the time gap between analysis and conclusion of any situation.

You are saved from declaring wrong decisions too soon when you speak less. Speaking less buys you more time to understand and analyze any situation.

So, it indirectly helps you take better decisions leaving you wiser and happier.

8. Become the person who takes action by adopting the practice of speaking less

Have you ever made big decisions in your life but failed to take actions on it?

Speaking freely and sharing your decisions ahead of time may be one of the major reasons this keeps happening to you.

We garner a sense of accomplishment just by speaking too much about our decisions and ideas with others. As our ego has already been fed, we fail to take actions on those decisions.

Speaking less and keeping your ideas to yourself can be a game changing decision in your life.

By speaking less about your accomplishments and goals you are starving your ego. Your ego can now be fed with actual actions rather than hollow words.

9. Become a calm and sorted person using the power of keeping quiet.

Speaking less makes you more calm and composed.

We encounter many situations in our everyday lives where no reaction is required. Choosing to remain silent in such scenarios saves you from feeling agitated.

You just need to let some things just be.

You save yourself from a lot of decision fatigue.

A day spent speaking less always leaves me feeling calmer and more sorted. It gives me more clarity of what things are important for me in my life right now.

And as we know having clarity about things naturally makes you a more sorted and calmer person.

10. Speaking less earns more value for your words

Do you want people to take your words seriously? If so, you should try speaking less.

A person who speaks less always has some value for his/her words. No body takes a person who is always jabbering about seriously.

A person with less words has ample time to analyze the situation and speaks only if he can share some valuable input.

So, it is only natural to value such person’s words against someone who is always ready with their mouth open.

I guess we all believe that

“still water runs deep”

Concluding thoughts

I cannot emphasize enough on the importance of staying silent and speaking less. We all should practice it from time to time if not every day.

In Hindu religion we have fast for silence called “maun vrat” . In this fast the practitioner abstains from speaking and goes to a quiet place where he/she practices meditation.

This purifies the mind of an individual. This fasting may not be possible in today’s situation where we have various job profiles. Still, its benefits cannot be denied.

So, I try to practice a bit of silence every day for my own good. I hope you will also feel encouraged to do the same after reading this post.

That is all I have to say about the power of speaking less.

Thank you and have a nice time ahead!

Speaking less is also a form of minimalist lifestyle which I so love.

If you like my work, you can also check out some of my posts here.