I had a chaotic day yesterday. From my daughter waking up early, to a rock band rehearsal in my band room when I got to school, through a busy teaching day where there was always a lesson or rehearsal going on, to my daughter’s dance studio after school, there was a constant stream of noise filtering through my brain from sunup to sundown. Zero minutes of quiet. By the time I got home, I was coming unglued.

I needed some quiet. I needed it just as badly as I needed dinner, or a good night’s sleep.

I might not have recognized this desperate need ten years ago, before I read Susan Cain’s book Quiet and realized that, as an introvert, I had to build silence into my day. Since then, I’ve been valuing the time spent alone in the car, and I usually eat my lunch in my office to give myself some space. Neither of those places are completely silent, but it’s better than nothing.

Even if it’s hard to find quiet moments during the day, I do think it’s possible to find quiet in your mind. Despite my chaotic day, I still felt calm and in control. My schedule looked rushed, but I didn’t feel rushed. I took five minutes and meditated with my headphones on. I was able to handle it all pretty well up until the very end, when the stimuli finally piled up on me and I started to feel the impact of the day.

Quiet is one of the best things about the winter season. With the windows closed and fewer people outside, there are moments when the house feels truly hushed. I’ve learned to pay attention during those moments. I’ll whisper into the silence, “It’s quiet,” and I’ll feel thankful.