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- Studies have found that periods of silence can help to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve overall well-being. Silence can also promote creativity and focus, allowing individuals to tap into their inner thoughts and emotions.
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Jul 22, 2021 · This practice, called the Sphere of Silence, is a 60-minute routine that can help you stay grounded, focused, and most importantly, remain hopeful when your mind wants to spiral.
- Silence encourages mindfulness. Silence can set the stage for the practice of mindfulness, which has a range of mental health benefits. “Being mindful and aware of what is happening in the present moment can reduce anxiety, quiet racing thoughts, and calm the nervous system, says Sarah Kaufman, a licensed master social worker based in New York City.
- Promotes self-awareness. Silence can help increase your self-awareness by giving you the chance to observe and accept your thoughts and feelings without judgment.
- Stimulates brain cells. Quieting the mind can boost brain growth, according to a 2013 animal study in mice. Researchers found that when mice were exposed to 2 hours of silence each day, they developed new cells in the hippocampus.
- Relieves stress. We all feel stress from time to time, but silence may help decrease stress levels by lowering cortisol adrenaline levels. An older 2006 study found that just 2 minutes of silence can be more calming than listening to relaxing music.
- Overview
- Silence could help lower blood pressure
- Silence may improve concentration and focus
- Silence can calm racing thoughts
- Silence may stimulate brain growth
- Silence may reduce cortisol
- Silence stimulates creativity
- Silence could improve insomnia
- Silence can encourage mindfulness
- How to get more silence in your life
Shhh… do you hear that? Or, rather, not hear that? It’s silence.
In our ever-noisy world full of background music, on-demand shows and podcasts, and airplanes flying overhead, many of us don’t experience a great deal of quiet.
And according to scientific evidence, that’s not such a great thing for our health.
Experts and research studies alike confirm that, especially in our loud world, time spent in silence can bring numerous health benefits.
Though an absence of sound may suggest emptiness, you may discover that dialing down the noise offers surprising fullness for body, mind, and spirit.
Here’s a look at some solid reasons to get quiet, plus real-world tips on how to do so.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often called the “silent” killer. That said, there’s something ironic about the fact that silence could actually help reduce blood pressure.
A 2006 study found that a 2-minute period of silence after listening to music significantly reduced subjects’ heart rate and blood pressure. Even compared to slow, relaxing music, silence resulted in greater decreases in these important measures of heart health.
Older 2003 research associated a chronically noisy environment with increases in heart rate and blood pressure.
More research is needed to determine the long-term effects of silence on cardiovascular health, but these results are promising.
There’s a reason why important exams aren’t conducted with music blaring in the background. Auditory stillness helps us focus.
Freed from the external stimulus of noise, our brains can better concentrate on the task at hand. This can have benefits for our work, education, relationships, and more.
In a 2021 study, 59 participants performed tasks that required concentration, with either silence, speech, or other noise in the background. Those who worked in silence experienced the least cognitive load and the lowest stress levels.
“Focusing on one thing at a time with one’s full attention can help promote efficiency and calmness amidst activity,” explains clinical psychologist and mindfulness educator Supriya Blair, PsyD.
Racing thoughts are a hallmark of anxiety. Silence might seem like a wide open space for swirling thoughts to fill, but this doesn’t have to be the case.
Instead, it’s possible to allow silence to bring mental stillness.
“Learning to become quiet helps us refrain from expending unnecessary energy, endlessly participating in the hamster wheel of thoughts in our head,” says Blair.
Ultimately, mental stillness can be a gateway to mindfulness, which has proven benefits for anxiety.
“In silence, we can slow down, take time to observe the things around us, and just to be,” says Audrey Hamilton, who facilitates silent retreats with the Carmelite Friars of Boars Hill in the United Kingdom.
“This helps us pay attention and be present to the moment, whatever it is we happen to be doing.”
Quieting the mind might lead to a healthier brain.
An animal study from 2013 found that 2 hours of silence stimulated growth of new cells in the hippocampus in mice, the region of the brain related to memory and emotion.
We’ve all probably experienced a sense of overwhelm at a chest-thumpingly loud concert or a noisy child’s birthday party.
This mental phenomenon has a physiological basis.
The same study that showed the effects of noise on concentration also found that people who performed their task with noise in the background had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
“An accumulation of unpleasant noise can lead to mental stress and an excess release of cortisol,” says clinical psychologist Martine Prunty, PhD.
Clearing your head with a long silence could be the key to increased creativity.
Though clinical research on the exact relationship between silence and creativity is scant, many experts have touted the benefits of mental downtime for better creative output.
Periods of downtime have been found to increase productivity and improve problem-solving.
“Learning to ‘digest’ our thoughts and quiet the mind can help make room for sparks of creativity and inspired action,” says Blair.
Most of us need a quiet environment for sleep.
In fact, the stress of external noise can disrupt nighttime rest to the same degree as a sleep disorder.
But the wee hours aren’t the only time when silence can prevent insomnia. Practicing quiet at times throughout the day might set you up for better rest at night.
“Silence and periods of calm stimulate brain growth and relieve tension, which can result in a higher sense of well-being, as people can then feel more relaxed generally,” says Prunty. “When this occurs, sleep quality improves.”
When you’re silent, you have an invitation to sit with the present moment.
While you may feel an impulse to fill the space with an activity, a conversation, or some music, you can consciously choose to stay with the silence.
We can’t necessarily escape the world in a Cone of Silence, “Get Smart”-style. But with a bit of intention, we can bring more stillness into our everyday lives.
Try these methods of turning down the noise:
•Make your vehicle a noise-free zone.
•Reduce background noise.
•Remove your earbuds.
•Start your day before the rest of the house wakes up.
- Sarah Garone
Aug 10, 2022 · The power of quiet: The mental and physical health benefits of silence. In an increasingly noisy world, neuroscientists are discovering exactly what kind of silence has the most dramatic impact...
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Jun 10, 2024 · Research shows silence is good for our relationships and well-being—yet many of us still fear silence. Here's why it's healthier to embrace it than fight it.
May 14, 2024 · The use of intentional silence can be constructive, deeply profound, and provide room for emotional expanse. Stratgeic silence may offer comfort and affirmation, enhance mindfulness, and help us...
Understanding the power of silence can help you build stronger, more meaningful relationships. Here’s how: Speaking Volumes Without Saying a Word: Sometimes, words fail us. When emotions run high, silence can speak louder. A comforting hug during a moment of sadness can say more than any words.
