We live in an increasingly noisy world. Buzzing traffic, sirens, barking dogs, power tools, and loud conversations. When we come home, we immediately fill the space with noise from our TVs, sound systems, and smartphones. We can't go for a walk without wearing our headphones. Noise is all around us! It seems we purposely keep our environment loud by “man-made” background noise. Often, we are totally oblivious to the noise pollution around us.
But constant exposure to noise is not good for us.
Living in noisy environments has been linked to many physical and emotional issues such as irritability, sleep disturbances, mental fatigue, stress and anxiety. Our brains, ears, bodies, and nervous systems are constantly processing sounds from our environment, often working overtime. We are switched "on" 24/7. We need a break from all this noise to reflect, re-set and re-charge.
We need silence!
Unfortunately, we seem to struggle with silence and solitude. We have become very uncomfortable with quiet moments and stillness. Why do we have the need to fill every moment with noise?
Sitting quietly with our own thoughts and feelings can be scary and intimidating. When we are surrounded by noise – whether it’s music, TV, podcast, videos, whatever – we don’t have to notice things about ourselves that might need to change. Hiding behind noise is a "safe", often subconscious, way to distract ourselves from our inner world, from our feelings, from our underlying insecurities and unresolved issues.
But there’s power in silence!
Spending time in silence is good for our physical, mental, and emotional health. Just a few minutes of silence can slow the heart rate, lower blood pressure and calm the nervous system. When we sit in silence, our thoughts slow down, our bodies and muscles relax, and we become more aware of the body-mind connection as we turn inward.
When we are no longer distracted by noise, we start to feel our emotions and physical sensations more clearly. Silence gives us the space to reconnect with ourselves and gain insights into our beliefs, values, and behaviours. Silence is also good for creativity as we often come up with new ideas without external distractions.
When was the last time you experienced silence and stillness? No noise, no distractions. Or have you become addicted to noise? Try eliminating, or at least minimising, some of the noise in your life. Just a few moments of silence throughout the day can improve your overall wellbeing.
In a world filled with noise, we really need to make time and space for reflective silence! Being comfortable with silence is an indicator of inner peace.
As the old saying goes, "Silence is golden!"
Eila Mikkonen
Counsellor, Clinical Supervisor & Mental Fitness Facilitator