Shh: 10 Benefits of Silence
We are loud. Traffic, horns, sirens. The chatter in restaurants and bars. Blasting music everywhere. Concerts, events, and movies are getting louder. Noise pollution is all around us. Even in a quiet room you can pick out subtle noises, the hum of the air conditioner, an airplane overhead, a passing train, the ticking of a clock, birds outside…Sound is everywhere. Obviously some noises are more enjoyable than others, but did you know that SILENCE is actually beneficial for both your physical and emotional health?
10 Benefits to Silence:
Lowers your blood pressures
Boosts your immune system
Improves sleep and Insomnia
Decreases stress by lowering cortisol and adrenaline levels
Improves memory: Studies have shown silence can create new cells and growth in the hippocampus (the part of the brain linked to learning, memory, and emotion).
Improve discomfort/patience: Many of us find it awkward to sit in a space of silence, we do things like pull out our phones or start random conversation. Taking time to sit in that space without trying to fill it can shift when and where you feel uncomfortable.
Emotionally healing: We tend to drown out our emotions with sound, things like listening to songs and talking to other people. Burying emotions doesn’t make them go away but sitting in silence and allowing yourself to truly process and feel them can allow for release (even though it can be an EXTREMELY difficult process).
Sparks creativity: Many great ideas come when we aren’t being constantly bombarded with outside noise and you’re able to engage more with your mind.
Awareness and heightened sensitivity: I think of this like a numbing effect, the more you’re around crazy noise the less you even notice how loud it is. So when you take that time to be quiet, you’re able to be more aware and become appreciative and sensitive to the world around you (and also inwardly self aware).
Reaction and Reflection: It can be easy to be triggered and react in a situation that with time to reflect you may have acted differently. We may not be able to change what we do in the past but we can use silence to reflect and learn to react differently in the future.
“the sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.” - Pascal
Now for the challenge, try 30 minutes of silence a day! Take time for yourself to meditate, find a quiet place to walk, or maybe if you have a long commute sit in silence instead of immediately turning on the music/podcasts. Notice how it makes you feel. For some it may feel like a breath of fresh air, for others it may be excruciatingly difficult but consider the benefits and try to welcome a little bit of silence into your everyday life.