CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE
By Judith Ashton
Recently, sitting alone, in the dentist’s waiting room, I became aware of an inane chat-show on the radio near me. It was annoying to say the least… bubble gum for the brain! I turned it right down, relaxed and tuned in to my own breathing pattern.
Why is there an incessant need for noise pollution everywhere we go from elevators, supermarkets, buses, surgeries and hospital waiting rooms? Worst of all, is when the volume is just low enough to not catch the words but high enough to be distracting!
What is wrong with silence? Silence in now the new detox! People are craving silence as an antidote to the hustle and bustle of frantic modern stressed life!
Many people have no silence in their lives because of the all-pervasive noise surrounding us which can be almost impossible to escape.
I spend a lot of time in silence, and I find that it had a restorative effect on me, especially because it allows a natural rebalancing of the nervous system. Constant stimulation keeps us in emergency mode with fluctuating levels of cortisol and adrenaline being released into the body… when this is the case we cannot relax as we are always hyped-up giving rise to anxiety, sleep disturbance, unwanted thought patterns, digestive disturbance and a cascade of other stress related symptoms.
Silence invites relaxation and emotional wellbeing and improves cognitive function. Studies show that 2 minutes of quiet time every day is more relaxing than listening to music and 2 hours daily can stimulate the growth of new brain cells especially in the hippocampus which is responsible for memory and emotional regulation.
The body cannot be calm, we cannot daydream, be intuitive or insightful when there is constant noise stimulation. Without exterior distraction, the brain is better equipped to process information, focus is enhanced, decision making is easier and more creativity is likely to flow.
‘And the vision that was planted in my brain, Still remains, within the sounds of silence” Simon and Garfunkle.
Since time immemorial people have sought silence as a way of getting in touch with their inner selves, in touch with guidance, inspiration and their Gods.
It seems that our modern lifestyle has underestimated its virtue. We all need to take ourselves away from distractions from time to time to allow our thoughts the space they need to process feeling, to digest our experiences and to enable us to grow emotionally.
Being so used to constant noise pollution, many people find true silence disquieting and can associate silence with loneliness; and with feeling uncomfortable, they prefer to fill their heads with music, TikTok, podcasts and effectively avoid confronting their inner most thoughts.
We must treasure silence, it’s a rare and valued asset; restorative for mind and body and is often so hard to find with all the demands of daily life. Noise pollution creates inner disturbance and we all need a digital detox to reduce auditory and information overload.
Natural sounds however, like flowing streams, waves, rivers and birdsong are essential for wellbeing and are deeply healing. Don’t walk with headphones as they isolate you from Nature sounds and their beneficial effects.
What can we do to heal ourselves from noise overload? Firstly, it’s good to realise that silence isn’t emptiness but an inner state that can nurture deep healing.
As a psychotherapist, I value client’s moments of silence as this can allow unexpected emotions to arise; it’s often a pause in a conversation that creates a space for tears to fall, pain to arise, answers to emerge, unexpected insights and healing to begin. When we can listen to our own silence, we can begin to be our own teachers.
Occasionally, I am simply lost for words eg: if someone is in deep grief. To be able to be present, in silence with another person, is very powerful and can communicate more than words. As Shakespeare said,’ Better to be a king of silence, than a slave to your words.’
Silence is the path to inner peace. Incessant chatter is the path to inner chaos.
Silence, however, can be full or empty, negative or positive. It can be the source of great comfort, togetherness and understanding or it can be brimming with malice and anger… we all intuitively know the difference. Cultivating silence in one’s head and one’s home is vital for physical and mental wellbeing and it can be helpful to create a ‘quiet zone’ without screens where you can sit and simply ‘be’.
