Benefits of enjoying silence
Image by Nick Fewings Unsplash
Do you sometimes feel that everything is just too loud?
It’s not just your imagination. The world is literally louder right now than it’s ever been at any time in known history. We have more cars, blaring TVs in waiting rooms, music played in virtually every shop and much more!
It can be hard to find a quiet place! Our brains need silence.
Noises causes added stress and confusion especially when we have no control over them! According to the Attention Restoration Theory, when you are in an environment with lower levels of sensory input, the brain can ‘recover’ some of its cognitive abilities more quickly.
Participation questions:
What kind of health problems are you aware of that are caused by excessive noise in your environment?
When can you regularly detox from noises, such as switching off all external noises in your home?
What benefits do you experience, or if you haven’t done so yet, what benefits could you be enjoying with some quiet time?
Helpful Video:
Why noise is bad for your health -- and what you can do about it
https://youtu.be/ewNTwBbLUhM
Exercise:
Find a quiet spot where you can sit relaxed and stay in a comfortable posture with your back straight. Try to focus on your breathing and develop an awareness of your thoughts and emotions without engaging with them or forcing them to change. The idea is to remain in the present moment and stay in harmony with your mind and body. Stay in this position for at least 3 minutes or as long as you feel comfortable.
Seeking Help
Helping yourself is always a great option but sometimes it’s simply not enough and professional support is required.
If you feel that you need more guided support please reach out to your doctor or a therapist.
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@amiablePeace77
What kind of health problems are you aware of that are caused by excessive noise in your environment?
When can you regularly detox from noises, such as switching off all external noises in your home?
What benefits do you experience, or if you haven’t done so yet, what benefits could you be enjoying with some quiet time?
I always preferred quiet. Not the kind of person who plays anything in the background. If someone talks nearby, I can't write. Can't hear music when I work, because my brain is overtaken - I analyse what I hear!
While I am glad to be invited or to invite.... I am often the first one out because overtime, the din gets to me.
Right now, it is spring here and I live out in the countryside, so bird songs, flies or bees whizzing around, road traffic far away, and chicken clucking are part of the silence. I pay attention when the nearby church bells ring because I love their sound.
@Fradiga
I can relate to the points you made quite well, also living far away from the road traffic is a true blessing in my view!
@amiablePeace77
What kind of health problems are you aware of that are caused by excessive noise in your environment? I know that extremely loud noises can lead to hearing loss over time. The Apple Watch actually sends you a warning when the sound is too high.
When can you regularly detox from noises, such as switching off all external noises in your home? I don't ever like it completely silent, but sometimes you just need to lower the amount of stimulation that you are feeding your brain. I can get overstimulated when there are too many different noises in the background and I'm sure many others experience this as well!
What benefits do you experience, or if you haven’t done so yet, what benefits could you be enjoying with some quiet time? I think quiet time can really allow us to rejuvenate ourselves. We can truly decompress and recharge. Some quiet time laying in bed or chilling by a nice candle can be a few great ways to unwind!
@fruityPond7887
I tried to meditate for 3 minutes or longer but could not get the noise of my husband's tv to be quiet enough even to get my mind to focus on my thoughts. I have never been able to do this. Got any more suggestions?
@WorkingitThrough2 sorry you have a blaring TV to listen to. I try to go to the opposite end of the house or the bathroom. I also have nice headphones that block out a lot of sound.
Hope you find a way to cope with that.
@soulsings
My husband is hard of hearing and he keeps his television kind of loud. When I know he is asleep I can go turn it down but most of the time he will wake up just as I am turning it down.😊. U have tried to use headphones but only if his tv is loud and I am trying to listen to something. They are not good-quality headphones. I must look to see if I can get a good pair of quality reducing noise ones;
Oh the hand exercises are doing great. Thanks❤️
@WorkingitThrough2 Ahh okay makes sense!! Do you have an iPhone? I know they are a little expensive, but AirPods are really great quality and they are soundproof! It may be worth looking into! 😊
@fruityPond7887
Yes I have an iPhone and IPad and gave away the ear pods but Yes I can get another set. Thanks😊
@WorkingitThrough2 Aww I'm sorry that you are in a situation that you can't get any quiet time. Have you maybe asked your husband to lower the TV? I would hope he would be able to compromise. Maybe another solution could be spending time outside to mediate? Being in nature is another plus! I hope you are able to find a place that you can get some quiet! ❤️
@fruityPond7887
Nice to have a watch that actually sends you a warning when the sound is too high! For sure you're not the only one getting overstimulated with loud noises. I can't take them for long neither and need down time after being exposed to loud noises. Winding down with a candle light sounds cozy!
@amiablePeace77. I do feel overloaded and sensitive to noise at times. Sometimes I’ll be watching tv and if the noise starts to bother me I’ll turn it off. I do find it helpful to take a break from noise.
@adventurousBranch3786
I can so relate to what you said about the tv, sometimes it also changes the volume on it's own (it's the movie itself not tv issue) so I always tune down the volume as quick as possible.
@WorkingitThrough2 That sounds great! You're very welcome! 💜
@amiablePeace77
What kind of health problems are you aware of that are caused by excessive noise in your environment?
I can't think of any health problems, but I am aware that loud noises may trigger some people or be a sensory overload for some people with autism.
When can you regularly detox from noises, such as switching off all external noises in your home?
Straight when I come home from work for 2-5minutes.
What benefits do you experience, or if you haven’t done so yet, what benefits could you be enjoying with some quiet time?
I have to have quiet time or I go mad or everyone's voices end up ruminating in head. Quiet time helps me recharge ready for the next day.
@Harmony8682
I hope you will always get that much needed quiet time to recharge. When we give your brain time to be quiet, it allows us to sort our thoughts.
Apart from what you mentioned continual exposure to noise can cause stress, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, and many other health problems.
Here is the link to an informative article about the effects of noise on health https://hms.harvard.edu/magazine/viral-world/effects-noise-health
Ironic this post should come up. For little over a year I have been dealing with noise sensitivity.
At first I was hearing low frequency thudding noises. Now it is high frequency ringing noises. It got so bad my doctor referred me to an Ear/Nose/Throat specialist to see if something was wrong with my ears. To my dismay it turns out that not only are my ears fine and I have good hearing but the Doctor said in an amazed voice "You have phenomenal hearing". I say dismay because if something was wrong then maybe it could be fixed. But there is nothing to fix, nithing to stop the constant irritation. In a room that others perceive as completly silent I can hear the slight hiss from the heating system or the faint hum of the fridge in the other room. I never have quiet. I use to get relaxation at home but now no where is quiet.
This has lead to depression and anxiety attacks. I feel helpless to stop the noise and ironically have to use other noises like tapes of waterfalls or waves to drown out the faint noises I constantly hear around me. But those other noises also start to become an irritant to my brain and ears.
When other people can not hear the noises you hear they treat you like a hypocondriac and say nothing can be done which makes you more depressed and more anxious when you hear a new noise.
The only time I truely have silence is when I wear earplugs or those yellow earmuffs construction workers wear. But these are only temporary as they become uncomfortable fast and have to be removed.
These noises were always around me it is just that my brain is more aware of them now. It listens intently, seeks them out, is obcessed with them. I have to somehow teach my brain to ignore the noises, to stop seeking them out, to stop obcessing.
I am waiting to get into some mental health programs to help me learn how to deal with my depression and anxiety and train my brain to ignore the constant noise. However due to covid many programs were shut down and the ones left have long wait times.
Meanwhile I suffer and try anything I can think of to help me tolerate the noise.
So what health problems does noise cause? Depresssion and anxiety attacks
What benefits would quiet time give? Peace blissful peace.
@PrimalScream
I'm so sorry for my late reply but just reading your post.
Not getting any silence at all because your hearing is too sensitive (or maybe sound sensitivity) is simply rough. So sorry to hear that not being able to find quiet and peace lead to anxiety and depression attacks.
It's tough when even earmuffs do not work good enough. I got some with 37 dB but tbh they are neither the most comfortable to wear and also blocking out noise completely can make it only worse. I believe listening to calming sounds is a good idea. Something that helps me well is practising mindfulness. Regular deep breathing exercises and mindfulness meditations help me to strengthen the calming nervous system and make me less reactive.
I hope you can get into mental health programs soon and get the help you need.
In the meantime I hope that coming here to join discussions or chats and using the 7cups resources will help.
Here are free self-help guides https://www.7cups.com/supportGuides/selfHelpGuides.php
Mindfulness video library
Please remember you can always connect to a listener for a 1:1 chat, we are here for you too 💙.
I’m new, was searching through the chats and forums when I found this. I can relate to the beauty of silence.
I just returned from vacation where my friend does not have a tv. We have a tv in my house, but I don’t watch very often. My partner watches tv in the evening (rather LOUD too), which I found especially jarring after 10 days of no tv or other background noises.
I really learned to enjoy silence during the pandemic.
If I don’t have my daily allotted time of no background noise, mentally I don’t feel right.
Thanks for posting!
What kind of health problems are you aware of that are caused by excessive noise in your environment? I get irritable when it gets noisy. I also get headaches.
When can you regularly detox from noises, such as switching off all external noises in your home? Usually a few mornings a week we will turn off the T.V. and phones. it helps alot.
What benefits do you experience, or if you haven’t done so yet, what benefits could you be enjoying with some quiet time? Helps me clear my head and feel calmer.
@MissPen nice to hear from you. Glad you have some silence oases!
