Brainy Dose Presents:
Why Silence Is Powerful - The Hidden Benefits Of Being Silent
Some people enjoy, and may even prefer silence more often than not.
For others, the mere thought of being in silence can be incredibly uncomfortable.
Yes, interaction with others IS important - after all, we are social beings - however,
we can all benefit from some time in silence.
That said, it can be hard to find quiet time these days.
The world is constantly in motion, and there’s always some noise happening around us - cars
passing by, construction, kids screaming, and people talking.
Nevertheless, whether you’re a homebody or a social butterfly - you should try and
make some time for yourself, where you can have a little peace and quiet.
Here are a few reasons to make silence a part of your day.
Number 1 - Relieve Stress And Tension
Research shows that noise can have a physical effect on your brain and elevate your cortisol
levels - the hormone associated with stress.
This means you’re more likely to experience chronic stress if you live or work in a noisy
environment - such as the downtown core or any area where there’s always a lot going
on.
On the flip side, silence seems to have the opposite effect - it actually helps release
physical and mental tension.
According to research, just a few minutes of silence can be more soothing than listening
to relaxing music.
Number 2 - Boost Creativity
Creativity is a big part of life, and the creative process often requires silence - as
it is much more difficult to drift off into your imagination when your senses are overloaded.
When you’re alone and in a calm environment, you engage more with your mind.
You’re much more likely to experience deeper thoughts and feelings when you’re not dealing
with tons of external stimuli.
Brainstorming with others does have its benefits, but most people find that their best work
happens when they disconnect from the outside world and give 100% of their attention to
their craft.
Number 3 - Improve Focus
The constant stimulation your brain receives on a day-to-day basis can put significant
stress on the medial prefrontal cortex and impede your attention span, as well as your
problem solving and higher thinking abilities.
As a result, you become mentally fatigued, and you lose your ability to focus.
Having fewer distractions allows your brain to slow down and concentrate.
Quiet environments help your brain restore its attention resources - encouraging more
effortless cognitive function.
It may not always be possible to escape somewhere quiet when you’re at work or in school,
but going out for a walk when you get the chance, can help recharge your brain and help
you regain focus.
Number 4 - Stimulate Brain Cell Growth
Studies have found that just two hours of silent time can stimulate new brain cell growth
in the hippocampus - the region of the brain that’s linked to your learning ability,
memory, and emotional processing.
Some findings also suggest that silence can be therapeutic for conditions associated with
having a decreased rate of neuron regeneration in the hippocampus - such as depression or
Alzheimer’s disease.
Number 5 - Attain Greater Self Awareness
If your attention is always being diverted by distractions, you can never really work
on improving your life.
That’s another reason why practicing silence is so beneficial.
Regularly taking time to self-reflect can help you get a better sense of the big picture
and where your life is going.
Being aware of the changes you’d like to make, will lead you to start taking conscious
actions to improve.
Number 6 - Enhance Your Intuition
Silence can also help you develop and improve your intuition.
You see, when you’re alone, you’re more likely to engage in self-talk.
And it’s this self-talk that can enhance your intuition - since you are listening to
yourself.
And the more time you spend alone and in silence, the more you’ll engage in self-talk - thus,
developing your intuition, even further.
You learn how to trust and believe in yourself more, and therefore trust your gut instincts
more.
Number 7 - Broaden Your Perspective
Silence helps you reflect on not just yourself, but everything around you.
A calm, quiet environment can give you the ability to see yourself and your situation
from a different perspective - a more positive or realistic one, or from the perspective
of someone else.
Instead of being held back by only seeing one side of the situation, you can step back
and realize all sides of it.
When you accept your responsibility and your role in whatever happens to you, you gain
more control over the situation and the ability to change it.
Number 8 - Improve Your Relationships
If you’re like most people, you often find yourself eagerly waiting for your turn to
speak in a conversation, rather than actively listening to the other person.
Training yourself to become more comfortable with silence will also help you to focus more
on a person you’re talking to.
You can better absorb what they’re saying, before jumping in with your thoughts.
You may even see them in a different light!
When you consciously practice silence and deep listening in your relationships, you
begin to feel more compassion and empathy toward the people in your life.
Number 9 - Make Better Decisions
If you find yourself sweating every small decision, and becoming stressed just thinking
about what you want for dinner, you have a problem with decision-making.
It’s not the actual indecision that makes the process so hard, but rather your own self-doubt
and unsureness of your decision-making abilities that hinder you from moving forward.
In silence, you can listen to yourself and sort through your thoughts much better.
Taking time to find the answer you need can help you make better decisions overall.
Number 10 - Attain A Higher Level Of Emotional Stability
Your emotional stability can also reap the benefits of being in silence.
Negative emotions are less likely to affect you, and inconveniences won’t anger you
as easily - improving your mental stability as well.
Getting away from the overload of sensations in everyday life removes most of the distractions
that can lead to instability.
Your brain’s ‘attention centers’ get to restore themselves, and you become much
better equipped to deal with whatever life brings your way.
Basically, silence restores your mental resources and makes you more stable.
Number 11 - Become More Disciplined
A lot of people find the idea of staying in silence for 15-20 minutes a day impossibly
hard - they may even roll their eyes at the thought and dismiss it immediately.
Despite how difficult something like this may sound, the reward - which is gaining more
discipline - will far outweigh any effort you put in.
And discipline is something that carries over to other parts of your life as well.
Self-discipline helps with focus and determination - to go after your goals in both your personal
and professional life.
Number 12 - Understand Yourself Better
Those who lead successful lives, both personally and professionally, are the ones who truly
understand themselves.
They’re self-aware enough to know what their potential is - they know their strengths and
weaknesses and what they can accomplish.
When you understand yourself better, you know what you can give to the world and what you
want out of it.
And knowing your priorities will help you find the best way to go about getting the
most out of life.
As you can see, silence has many benefits - physically, mentally, and emotionally - but
if you’re constantly surrounded by external stimuli, you never get to experience any of
them fully.
To truly establish inner peace, you have to try and dedicate at least a small amount of
your time to get away from daily life, and just be in silence and focus on yourself.
Spending time by yourself isn’t a bad thing.
So learn to enjoy the quiet, and watch how a few minutes a day can transform and improve
your life.
Now tell us, do you practice being in silence?
If so, what are some ways you squeeze quiet time into your daily life?
Let us know in the comments below!
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