Now listen to the sounds around you. What do you hear?
As I write this, cars are still driving in the distance. There are crows cawing outside the window and a leaf blower making a loud noise. This morning I was rudely woken up by the sound of my smoke alarm going off.
If you really listen, you’ll find that quiet moments are rare.
Even if I find such a moment, I don’t know what to do with myself.
Why not twiddle your thumbs and listen to your thoughts? That sounds like a kind of torture.
Silence can be temporarily uncomfortable, but noise pollution may be causing more discomfort than you realize. Constant external noise can disrupt our health, concentration, and ability to actually hear.
Research shows that silence is good for the brain, and quiet time can improve memory and help you better understand yourself and the world around you.
But how can we incorporate silence into our lives when it feels impossible to escape the noise of modern life?
Read on to find out how noise affects your health and how to incorporate moments of silence into your daily life (even if the thought of them makes you cringe).
PS Listen to this bird song video while reading this. Apparently, the sounds of birds are good for calming the mind.
How noise affects our lives
Is outside noise really the worst thing in the world? What if you want to play TV in the background to keep you company?
Well, controlling noise is another thing. Noise that cannot be completely controlled is another problem.
Noise pollution refers to “undesirable or nuisance sounds that affect the health or welfare of humans or other living things.”
Here are some of the disruptions noise pollution can cause in your life.
Noise disrupts concentration
One of the most obvious issues with noise pollution is its effect on your ability to concentrate and stay focused.
One study found that exposure to close conversations in an office environment can reduce productivity by 66%.
I used to work in an open concept office and it always felt like a struggle to get things done. Hearing other people’s conversations and being interrupted at any time was a constant distraction.
Ideally, you need to be in a flow state to get things done and enjoy what you’re doing. As explained in Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s book, flow means being so immersed in what you are doing that external distractions become obsolete.
Given that it takes about 23 minutes to regain focus after being interrupted or distracted, these interruptions can prevent you from reaching that flow state or making progress on something. There is a gender.
Noise can cause health problems
Of course, this isn’t just about increasing productivity. Excessive noise can also be harmful to your health.
Noise pollution has been linked to stress, sleep disorders, high blood pressure, and even heart disease.
This does not mean extremely loud noise. Even noise that does not cause hearing damage can be harmful to your health.
One study found that children who lived under the flight path of a German international airport “experienced a modest but significant increase in blood pressure and a significant increase in stress hormones,” while children who lived in quiet areas It turns out that we did not experience such changes.
It makes me think that the noise from the devices we use on a daily basis may be affecting our health without us even realizing it.
We’re exposed to sounds from our phones and computers, and certain notifications, like those from Teams or Slack, can easily make us sweat.
And now that short-form videos have become mainstream, how does the noise we hear while scrolling affect our brains?
Why it’s worth finding silence
What can silence do for us, apart from improving our concentration and keeping us healthy? Here’s why it’s worth accepting the discomfort of silence.
Silence improves cognitive function
Silence can feel incredibly boring. You may feel like you have nothing to gain from silence because it doesn’t entertain us, give us new ideas, or teach us anything.
After all, if you don’t feed your brain with noise (i.e., information), your knowledge won’t spread.
But incorporating silence into your day can actually improve the memory power you need to absorb knowledge.
Researcher Imke Kirste was studying the effects of sound on the brains of mice and discovered that two hours of silence a day promotes cell development in the hippocampus.
Essentially, the lack of input had a positive impact on the mice’s memory development.
Maybe you learn better by having some good old-fashioned quiet time instead of constantly trying to cram information into your brain.
Silence improves your connection with yourself
Today, most of us are used to scrolling through our phones to avoid what’s going on inside us. When things are tough, we often turn to external sources to relieve the pain.
But when you scroll through your phone to distract yourself, you’re exposing yourself to extra noise like notifications, videos, and ads.
If you constantly distract yourself and numb yourself, you won’t be able to tolerate your emotions.
If you can’t accept your emotions, you’ll never be able to fully process them and break free from their grip on you.
Although it may be uncomfortable, silence helps us connect with ourselves. Because we are willing to listen to what our thoughts and feelings tell us.
“There is a quietness and sanctuary within you that you can always retreat to and be yourself.”
―Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha
3 ways to incorporate silence into your daily life
Now that you know the benefits of silence, here’s how to make it a part of your daily life.
1. Find a quiet place
No matter where you live, silence can be hard to find. It is impossible to find complete silence (except in this quiet room, which obviously drives you crazy).
According to Urban Quiet Park recommendations, the sweet spot for ambient noise is 45 decibels or less, which equates to library-level chatter.
The best place to start is by spending time in nature. Any time spent around the sounds of nature is beneficial. If you’re not sure where a quiet spot is, check out Quiet Parks International’s map of quiet spots around the world.
Another option is to create a quiet environment in your home. Even if it’s just 30 minutes of silence, take some time to appreciate it. Perhaps this means letting people know you need some quiet time, turning off notifications on your phone, or wearing noise-cancelling headphones.
2. Block out noise
If you can’t tolerate silence because of other people or where you live, try drowning out the noise pollution with artificial sounds such as background music, white noise, or ambient frequencies. Although they don’t provide actual silence, they can create an auditory environment that blocks out distracting noise.
You may wonder if background noise violates the concept of silence. Aren’t all noises the same? Research shows that fluctuating noise can affect cognitive function more than steady noise. Hearing all kinds of consistent noises can help you minimize distractions and focus on what you need to do.
The more these sounds mimic nature, the better. For example, listen to the sound of rain or birds chirping. You can also try white, brown, and pink noise.
Side note: If you use YouTube to listen to these sounds, get an ad blocker extension for your computer browser. Video advertising is perhaps one of the most infuriating examples of noise pollution.
3. Accept silence (this is the hardest)
To embrace silence in your life, you must be open to being still and still. I myself have a hard time accepting silence and usually have something playing in the background while I’m doing other things (music, podcasts, etc.).
Maybe it’s because I sometimes don’t want to admit my thoughts for too long. But like I said, numbing ourselves with distractions or drowning out our thoughts only disconnects us from our emotions.
Above all, be open about how silence benefits your life. Recognize that silence is uncomfortable, but ask for it anyway.
Next time you find a moment of silence during your day, try it. Moments like this are rare.
