The never-ending honking of vehicles, daily conversations at work and home, listening to loud music, YouTube videos, podcasts—we are constantly bombarded with noise every day. Needless to say, it can destabilise your focus at work or home and increase your stress levels. Research indicates that noise is “associated with elevated stress hormones when interacting with mental tasks or other performances that require high concentration or effort.”
That’s why it is of paramount importance to practice silence from time to time. When you are inundated with noise daily, spending some time in silence can help you re-establish inner peace. Silence provides our minds and bodies with much-needed rest from the commotion of daily life. It heals and rejuvenates our inner being. Moreover, silence is also beneficial for the brain. A study suggests that two hours of silence could create new cells in the brain’s hippocampus region, which is connected with memory.
If you want to know how to incorporate the power of silence into your daily life, here are a few ways to practice silence for a happier and healthier life.
Practice mindfulness meditation
From the moment we wake up to going to the bed at night, we experience noise from several sources. We seldom get a moment of quiet, the lack of which tires us emotionally. How do you counter that? The answer may lie in mindfulness meditation, a holistic approach towards establishing inner peace. As the name suggests, this meditation technique aims at creating mindfulness in our lives, irrespective of the activities that we perform. From mindful eating to talking, practising this meditation technique can help you attune to your senses. It not only heals the mind fatigued with sounds and noises, but also establishes inner peace by reducing stress, improving immunity, regulating sleep and improving your focus.
You can start by taking a few minutes off your schedule every day and practice basic mindfulness meditation techniques. Find a 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 forcing to change anything. The idea is to remain in the present moment and staying in harmony with your mind and body.
Spend some time offline every day
From smartphones to laptops and music systems, we spend most of our time surrounded by electronic devices. Although technology has become an integral part of our lives, especially in the pandemic-induced remote working culture and virtual classes in schools and colleges, the noise our smart devices generate can be harmful to our wellbeing.
A good way to take a break from our tech-driven lives and harness the power of silence is to set out some time each day to remain offline. You can start with 10-15 minutes each day and increase it depending on your needs. If you feel the urge to reach out to your smartphones, try to use the mindfulness technique mentioned above and calm your mind. Turn off the WiFi for some time every day, so that you can resist spending time online. Cultivate this habit to cut off excess sounds and spend precious time in silence.
Practicing silence provides rest from daily noise, reduces stress, and promotes inner peace. It also benefits the brain and memory.
Mindfulness meditation cultivates inner peace, reduces stress, improves focus, and enhances overall well-being.
Taking breaks from electronic devices and spending time offline cuts off excess noise and allows for precious moments of silence. It helps in calming the mind and fostering inner peace.
Spending time in nature helps eliminate stress, soothe a troubled mind, and connect with one’s inner self. Being in green spaces and listening to natural sounds promotes the power of silence.
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