The Sound of Silence

The Sound of Silence

Between Zoom calls, home schooling, devices and just generally more people in your house than there would normally  be during the day lockdown has been noisy.

Whilst the roads remained silent and the shops were boarded up there was an eery silence on our streets - yet indoors things were very different. 

Between Zoom calls, home schooling, devices and just generally more people in your house than there would normally  be during the day lockdown has been noisy.

Whilst the roads remained silent and the shops were boarded up there was an eery silence on our streets - yet indoors things were very different. 

Why Silence can help your Brain Health

“I just cant hear myself think”- how many times has that been said in your house in the last few weeks? 

Too much noise can raise our blood pressure and also increase stress hormone release.

Silence is one way to be able to hear ourselves. By quieting noise around us we get a chance to intentionally focus on what we want to think about. This power of intention is important for our brain health as it is one step in the process of mindful thinking.

Being in the moment, or being present with where you are right now, has long been linked to improved stress levels, happiness and a sense of calm 

Periods of silence can also help us with creativity and focus. With so many distractions surrounding us, it is very easy to distract ourselves with music, TV or social media as a way to put off tasks we want or need to complete.

Taking a few minutes for intentional silence can help reset our focus and this in turn can help us with productive and concentration in the longer term 

How to be silent

Whether you live alone or in a busy home being silent can be difficult. 

The first step is to decide you are going to have this quiet time and if you live with others ask/tell them you need these few minutes

These moments of silence can be used for thinking, reflection, deep breathing or perhaps journaling thoughts.

Decide where you can be silent, set you timer and let things quieten down. 

See how you feel after 5 minutes has passed of total silence - bliss!

For more about the benefits of quiet time and silence have a read

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/07-08/silence

Keep Well

Dr Clara Russell