The Underestimated Power of Quiet
by Cindy Gray on May 13th, 2009
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Have you noticed lately the amount of sound that constantly surrounds us? It’s true. And true silence is a rare experience for most people nowadays. In fact, there are many folks who are simply so used to being surrounded by noise that they cannot stand to be without some kind of noise – be it the intentional “background” noise of a television or radio; or even a “white noise” machine, made with the intention of creating noise, on purpose. In our modern 24/7 world we never seem to be able to escape the sound of sound. It seems like everywhere we go, there it is, the sound track of music, blasting radio, blaring television. In public bathrooms, music is piped in. Waiting rooms, and waiting in line, sound, sound, everywhere.
Most of us have no idea how much of a toll noise takes on our well-being. Even low-level office noise can make it more difficult to focus and stay motivated. Research shows that those in private offices or who used one of those white noise machines (to help drown out background noise) performed better on tests. One study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology indicated that when women are exposed to high levels of frustrating noise, they tend to eat more high-carb snacks. Noise reduces persistence in problem-solving tasks, increases frustration and irritability, and increases the desire to eat–in an attempt to help release noise-created stress. Behavioral health research shows that people inundated by noise all week at work are more apt to over-eat on weekends, too.
Excess sound does more than drive us to the refrigerator. Exposure to high levels of noise can also pose a danger to our hearing. One single rock concert can cause hearing loss, even though you may not notice it right away. Same thing with using iPods or earphones set too loudly. Repeated exposure to loud noise may increase your chances of developing an acoustic neuroma, a slow-growing tumor that typically begins to affect hearing and balance after age 50. One German study connected chronic noise to an increased risk of heart attack, particularly in men. Another common effect is sleep disturbances, again, tipping the scale for further health implications.
So what can we do to decrease the racket, and increase peace and quiet? Here are just a few suggestions…
Turn it off, turn it all off. Turn off the radio, TV, cell phones, anything and everything that is or can make noise. Then just sit back and listen to the quiet. The soothing quality of silence may surprise you.
Keep dinner time sacred; focus on who you’re eating with. Have a conversation and enjoy some peace and quiet along with your meal–and do not answer the phone.
If you have a cell phone, set it on mute, and let your voice mail pick up your calls. Then later on, have a designating time to check your calls. Put yourself in control of who to call back and when to call back.
In transit, turn off the car radio. Being in a car alone is one of the best times for uninterrupted peace, quiet and thinking.
While exercising, keep the headphones and the racket out of your ears and your brain! Focus instead on your body, your posture and your breathing–who knows, you might just figure out a problem!
Take a walk outside, ride a bike, swim, take a yoga or Tai Chi class–all these activities promote increased quiet time.
Go on a “news vacation.” Seeing and hearing bad news all the time doesn’t help anyone, it just stresses you out and keeps you on pins and needles. Take a vacation from hearing the news…see and hear how good it feels.
“Speech is the small change of silence.” English novelist, George Meredith
Silence helps you to become more aware of your surroundings. Silence amplifies the spirit. Silence allows you to hear yourself think, literally. When you walk into a church, a museum, or a library, you cannot help but notice how calm the energy feels within that space. Just by being there, amidst the calm and the quiet, your energy becomes calm too.
Why not give silence a try? You just might enjoy it.
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