Find the signals, suppress the noise.
What is a signal-to-noise-ratio?
Twice in recent conversations I’ve read or been a part of, people have referred to removing judgment from things that happen by simply calling them “signals.” Not good signals, not bad signals, just, objectively, signals. The cause may not always (or yet) be known, and the outcome is not (and may never be) known. but even amongst so many unknowns, you can know that they are signals of…something.
This is an interesting concept for me to incorporate into my approach because my background before entering the internet world was in telecommunications hardware. In that world, a signal is part of the signal-to-noise ratio equation. This signal-to-noise ratio is not just a metaphor, not conceptual, but a literal, tangible, and scientific concept.
When transmitting a signal over a network, whether it's a Wi-Fi, coaxial cable, fiber optics, digital satellite, or traditional television network, the signal is the show, the email, the live video stream. Noise is inherent in any of these environments and can be caused by various factors. Trees. Buildings. Some household appliances can even run on the same frequency as the telecom equipment and add noise.
Telecom systems are developed to recognize and amplify the signal while suppressing the noise. A consumer-oriented example would be noise-canceling headsets. These operate on the same principle of recognizing and counteracting the frequency of the airplane engine noise, and amplifying the frequency of whatever you’re listening to.
Viewing each event or condition or result as a signal, indicator, or part of a larger trend allows us to extract what is important and leave behind what is not, including our judgment of ourselves or others, self-doubt, and assumptions about what people are thinking or feeling about us and our initatives.
A second concept I've heard a lot about this year (and never before) is the “somatic” approach to personal development. This involves listening to your body. The body manifests things that the mind doesn't yet recognize. The somatic approach is often referenced in tandem with concepts of mindfulness, managing energy and emotions, and self-regulation. The value of listening to your body and implementing ways to calm down your body, to breathe, and feel grounded is to be able to act more objectively and without giving in to unsupported emotion or assumption.
[Note: My friend Rachael Lowell Ellison often covers these topics in her Reworking Leadership newsletter.]
When you wake up to the signal
I recently went to the doctor because I was experiencing frequent headaches, and I’m not a headache-y person. I attributed them to having stiff and tight shoulders and neck, and I attributed that to too much screen time and too much hunching over my phone. This was also during a period when my significant other was having a (now resolved) medical issue, and I've been doing caregiving for my mom for the last couple of years, so there was a lot of uncertainty and caregiving going on, and obviously that’s a lot of new-ish stress in my life. So I was having these headaches, but kind of ignoring them, treating them like mere noise in my environment. Not a signal.
The catalyst for me to pay more attention to the headaches was when a younger friend of mine had a stroke. She didn't have some of the more traditional symptoms, but one of her symptoms was a persistent headache that got worse. This made me think about my own headaches differently. After Google-nosing myself for a little while, I decided to seek actual medical advice.
Of course, the first thing that I wanted to do was see a neurologist, but, Kaiser won't send you right to a neurologist to get a CT scan. First, they send you information about headaches; they send you a headache diary, and they set you up with an evaluation appointment with a general practitioner to quiz you about your headaches.
I started the headache diary, and when visiting the doctor a few days later, I realized that I hadn’t had any headaches in those first few days. The doctor took my vitals, quizzed me for a while about the headaches, and had me do a few neurological tests, and told me she wasn’t concerned that I had either had or was at risk of a stroke. Instead, she highlighted the connections between my aches and pains, screen use, stress, and sleep. She also asked if I was taking any pain relievers for the headaches, and I had not been. She was, like, “You know, just think about taking a Tylenol or Advil. If you have a headache, go ahead.” Because I didn’t really have a good reason. I take daily allergy medications, for example, so it’s not like I’m anti-pharma to help a problem.
One day soon after the appointment, I had that feeling you get pre-headache, so I went ahead and took an Advil, and you know what? I didn't get a full-blown headache! Lesson learned, self-judgment set aside without even having to understand why I was laying that self-judgment on myself.
So remember to look for signals. Because it’s easy for us to miss them. But if you allow your signals to remain buried in the noise, you won’t know what you’re dealing with, nor can you focus on addressing them. Yes, sometimes it is someone else’s experience that makes you tune in and amplify the signals you’ve been ignoring. Once you do tune in, the problem may suddenly seem more serious…because you’re finally paying attention. But paying attention can lead to action, and action can lead to feeling more on top of what was worrying you…which makes it less worrisome!
I intend to apply this approach to see and address other signals, both within myself (including in my body) and from external sources, in various aspects of my life, including the personal, political, and professional landscapes.
Listening for and amplifying the signals, recognizing and suppressing the noise, and knowing the difference, in order to focus on the signals is my task for the second half of this year. Remembering that noise can look like a lot of different things, different distractions, but in the end, it’s the signals we want.
What signals have you recently become aware of that are swirling around you?
Latest from Optionality:
I interviewed
, who is just full of pearls of wisdom and actionable advice. I actually do her digestible exercises, so you know they’re good:
I also interviewed
about figuring out the story you can uniquely be passionate about telling, and in so doing learned about the difference between sharing your story and “trauma dumping.” It’s another great conversation:That’s it for today. Until next time, please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on any or all of the above. This is basically my blog now! And as always, I appreciate a share of Optionality and this newsletter.
I just love this essay! I learned something, felt something and walked away with something - does that make you a Substack triple threat?
I live in a body that has been - until very recently -riddled with cancer. I am tuned to every little tiny signal, and I’ve had to learn to adapt to all that signaling with messages of calm, comforting reassurance to myself.
That said, before my diagnosis, I powered through nearly every signal, until the signals got so loud I was forced to stop everything. I treated my body like a machine. Sigh.
I love what you teach here - there’s a middle ground.