The Importance of Silence: How This Simple Habit Can Improve Your Quality of Life
In modern life, finding a completely silent environment can seem almost utopian. That is because there is nearly always noise of one kind or another, whether voices, sirens, the television, general background noise, traffic and so on.
Even though our routine almost always leads us to believe we have grown used to these noises, the truth is that they can directly and indirectly affect our physical and mental health. That is why silence is so important, especially for our brain, which even needs it to develop the cells responsible for part of our emotions, memory and learning, according to research published in the renowned American journal Brain Structure and Function.
Guilherme Spadini, a specialist at the University of São Paulo (USP) in the relationship between silence and mental health, who also teaches the “Calm” course at The School of Life, further explains that silence is essential because it reminds us that there is a mental space within us and that our experiences are not merely the product of what happens in the outside world. According to him, we are not always able to connect with silence because our inner space ends up constantly filled with some kind of noise, whether it comes from work, music, films, texts, meetings, discussions and so on.
So what are the real benefits of silence for our body? Read on to find out!
1. Self-knowledge
Silence brings self-knowledge into our lives. That is because it connects us with the present moment, offers moments of reflection and also helps the brain to relax, which has a direct influence on how we process matters ranging from the internal to the external.
2. Relief from stress and anxiety
Excessive noise may be one of the main causes of the high levels of stress we live with nowadays. Silence, by contrast, does exactly the opposite, releasing tension in both body and mind. Research published in the journal Heart also suggests that two minutes of silence can be more calming than the same amount of time spent listening to relaxing music.
3. Developing your listening skills
Here is another benefit of silence that is rarely talked about: it opens up a whole new dimension of other realities and, in doing so, contributes directly to far more effective listening. It is when we fall silent that we develop the power of listening, which, incidentally, is a hallmark of great leaders.
4. It reduces muscle tension
Who would have thought that silence could even have physical effects on our body? But that is exactly the case. When we stay quiet and keep to ourselves, even the muscle tension built up over the day, often caused by stress itself, tends to ease.
5. Storing up vital energy
Last but not least, moments of silence also help us save vital energy, which is powerful for the times when we exercise physically or mentally. So the benefit extends to athletes and sports enthusiasts too!
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Did you enjoy discovering some of the benefits of bringing silence into your life? You can start with 60 seconds, move on to 120 and gradually increase the frequency and/or length of these pauses in your routine. You will certainly notice remarkable effects across many areas of your daily life. Give it a try!
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