From the time we wake up, we can be inundated with noise. Our alarm, notifications and alerts from our smartphone, the TV, our household, traffic, colleagues, friends, which are just a few of items that contribute to the soundtrack of our lives. Having said this, many of us may not know what it is like to live – or even sit – in silence. We can find silence deafening, and soon we start to fidget, or we try to find something, a sound, that can fill that void.

However, silence, and more importantly our ability to sit in that stillness, is crucial to our physical, mental and emotional health. Unfortunately, it is not a topic that is widely discussed, though if fostered, it could vastly enhance your quality of life.

 

A World Full Of Distractions

To a considerable degree, our lives area hubbub of activity – lots to do and so little time. In many western cultures in particular, people also rely on external stimuli to distract themselves from thoughts or feelings that are uncomfortable.

Although that stimulation may make you feel energised, and that you can keep up with what’s going on around you, the opposite might be true. For example and in the same way that many of us believe that being able to multitask is a virtue, when in fact it tends to be less efficient and makes you more prone to making mistakes, the noise in our lives may be making it difficult to focus, to be consistently productive, and even more generally, to cope.

Further, all of that activity and busyness can cause you not to be able to focus on yourself and your life. Although that may be welcomed in some quarters, it also suggests that you may not be able to practice living with intention, but instead, you may be more reactive in your approach to situations, and by extension, to your life.

 

Noise Enables Stress

Additionally, the impact of constant noise and activity on our stress levels should not be underestimated. According to the Hearing Health Foundation in the United States, there is indeed a physiological connection between noise and stress:

Noise triggers a stress response in the amygdala, a region of the brainstem. Our amygdala learns, over time, what sounds might signal impending danger. When one is detected, the amygdala triggers a release of cortisol (a stress hormone) and an involuntary startle reaction.

However, and due to the fact that for so many of us, our bodies are continually under some form of stress, we might not be as aware of, or as sensitive to, it as we should be. More importantly, and as we learnt in The Many Faces (And Hidden Truths) Of Stress, high and sustained levels of cortisol in our bodies can, over time, contribute to a broad range of illnesses, including heart disease, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and even cancer.

 

The Benefits of Silence

To the extent you can practise silence and enjoy stillness, a number of health benefits can be realised including the following:

• Being able to steady your breathing, and breathe more fully and deeply;
• Reducing muscle tension;
• Lowering your blood pressure;
• Decreasing your heart rate;
• Lowering cortisol levels and correspondingly, stress levels;
• Stimulating brain growth;
• Increasing concentration and focus.

However, and in addition to the benefits to your physical health, silence can also improve your mental and emotional health. First, it can provide you with a sense of calm, which allows you to be more mindful and self-aware: in your daily activities, whilst also helping you to become more connected to your body, thoughts, feelings, and by extension, your life.

Additionally, silence is an important input into the creative process. Many of the world’s most innovative people, who have created groundbreaking work, spent long periods of time alone or in solitude, as they move through the creative process.

 

Making Room For Silence In Your Life

If you who live in an environment of filled with noise and chaos, the experience of silence may be downright stressful, and so it may be difficult to realise any of the benefits highlighted in the previous section. However, practising silence and stillness are like muscles that need to be developed over time.

As a first step, it is recommended to turn off and/or remove yourself from external noise and distractions for a few minutes every day. Although the external noise and distractions might be gone, your mind might still be racing and you may still feel over-stimulated. That is to be expected. Nevertheless, try to calm yourself and your the mind through deep breathing techniques. The mind will continually drift off, but just gently bring your attention to your breathing.

Do try spending a few moments early in the morning, or in the evenings on this activity, so that you can be consistent and make it into a habit.  

Throughout the day, and whenever possible, you are also encouraged to take advantage of any quiet time you can find. For example, consider enjoying your morning coffee or having your meals, especially breakfast and dinner, which you are more likely to have at home, without distracting yourself with your smartphone, TV, or a book or magazine. It is these simple activities that can help you to become better connected to yourself, and allow you to be able to step outside the chaos that might be your life.

 

 

Image:  Cristian Palmer (Unsplash)