Bubble Building

When traveling a few weeks ago, I had an experience that set in motion some changes I anticipate will stick. For five days, I was in an environment with far less sensory input than what is typically present in daily life.

A few things were immediately noticeable. There were no TVs in the rooms, nor was there a hotel bar with music and noise streaming from it. There were no trail lights or streetlights, nor was there traffic passing by or through. There were no restaurants open 24/7, no quick runs to the store and no competing responsibilities.

The lower level of sensory input took some time to get used to and at first struck me as slightly unsettling. For me personally, it was about 24–36 hours before things began to settle. However, once the adjustment happened, the experience was transformative. With lower sensory input, I experienced clearer thinking, increased sleep, increased energy, and an overall feeling of calm rather than constant urgency. Further, there was the processing of situations that had gone unprocessed for over a year, These 4.5 days of reduced background noise was eye-opening for me. Despite intentionally working toward balance through meditation, and overall well-being practices, I learned the environmental factors were far greater than I knew. This environment illuminated just how much background stimulation surrounds us and that we are processing throughout our days.

I found myself commenting to several people at the training that it felt like we were operating in a bubble. We were still aware of world events. We were interacting with colleagues in person and staying connected with loved ones through calls and FaceTime. But the constant overlay of sensory “static” was turned way down.

The question that kept returning to was simple: How do we bring some of this back into everyday life?

In the 1990s and early 2000s there was a societal joke about raising your kids in a bubble—those who tried to protect their children from every possible adversity, struggle, or painful experience. That concept was widely criticized and eventually abandoned as too overly protective and unrealistic.

Now, revisiting the idea of a “bubble” feels different.

For many kids and adolescents today, life is a continuous stream of input. They wake up to their phones. They lie in bed scrolling. They go to schools where classrooms, Hallways and outdoor spaces are full of constant sights and sounds. Homes often have music, TVs, barking dogs, neighbors, flashing lights, changing screens, passing cars, and people in motion. We call this “background noise,” but it really occupies the foreground. Life is very stimulating right now.

The old idea of “building a bubble” around children meant overprotection. Now, creating a bubble for ourselves and our kids can be nurturing, not restrictive. The aim isn’t to isolate individuals or keep them from normal disappointments. It’s to protect a sense of calm that helps us connect with ourselves, others, and our communities.

Next week’s post will show ways to manage the sensory “fire hose” many of us face—stuff that zaps our peace and connection. We’ll focus on building bubbles for children birth to age 10: how adults can create shelter from sensory overload. Without some filter on input, there’s little room for anything else. With small, intentional choices that reduce multi-sensory noise, we can create spaces between the chaos. New habits can form where pockets of calm let the nervous system rest in a quieter bubble.