Besides giving our ears a break, silence has been shown to offer significant health advantages that boost overall well-being.
From a physiological standpoint, silence helps:
- Lower blood pressure, which can help prevent heart attack.
- Boost the body’s immune system.
- Benefit brain chemistry by growing new cells. A 2013 study found that two hours of silence could create new cells in the hippocampus region, a brain area linked to learning, remembering, and emotions.
- Decrease stress by lowering blood cortisol levels and adrenaline. Furthermore, according to a 2006 study in Heart, two minutes of silence relieves tension in the body and brain and is more relaxing than listening to music. This was attributed to changes in blood pressure and blood circulation in the brain.
Promote good hormone regulation
ENJOY YOUR SILENCE
The high demands of your work life can cause you to suffer from anxiety and tensions that are the source of you being irritable and annoyed throughout the day and night. The average worker/ business man or business woman are unaware of the techniques of living in alignment with the high demands of job and business requirements and often get burnt out from the over consumption of work. Making money is a vital part of our survival in the world we have created and the goal should be to make money and enjoy life all in the same breath.
In the workforce, there are many business and personal hats to wear which include caring for the core and extended family, living with issues of rising costs, unstable economy, changing workforce, head of household, poor child care, housing, medical and educational expenses, demanding relationships and careers, feelings of being overworked, underpaid and unappreciated are all too common.
In the case of these often-everyday occurrences the unseen stress is where the body, mind and soul yearns for stability, security, wholeness and a place to find rest.
Your mind, body and soul performs and feels better when you are focused and quiet such as times of prayer, meditation, nature walks, sitting in your bedroom, relaxing in the tub and listening to soft music. You will function better and enjoy your job more when you develop a routine of silence. While some people dislike a silent environment, equating it with being alone and lonely, others look forward to spending time with just their thoughts, seeking silence with eagerness, as if anticipating a gift. Indeed, silence offers profound benefits, many of which we aren’t even aware of.
Silence promotes psychological and emotional benefits
Taking a break from difficulties at home, work or school is often best accomplished with a conscious choice to entertain silence. Without the distractions of tech devices, browsing the net, social media (WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram etc), ringing phones, incoming messages, unexpected assignments or chores, or the demands of children, co-workers, family members and friends, it’s easier to calm the mind and restore balance.
Silence may help in the following areas:
- Creativity – When allowing thoughts to go where they will, inspiration may bubble up. Solutions to current or long-standing problems may suddenly occur to you, or a work-around or innovative approach may seem more feasible. Ideas for going in a different direction could coalesce, helping build momentum and excitement for spinning them off into yet other potential avenues to pursue.
- Awareness of self and environment – Once you’re comfortable in your silence, you’ll notice a distinct shift in your ability to be more self-aware. In addition, you can better appreciate the world around you, including your immediate environment.
- Reflection – Silence permits the kind of reflection that is beyond mere introspection. It promotes the ability to connect threads in a seemingly disorganized, disconnected world. After meditating in silence, you may be more motivated to mend significant relationships that have become strained, embark upon a self-improvement program, pursue a more challenging career path, vow to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
- Sensitivity to flow of life force – As a living organism, becoming aware of your essence, your flow of life force is important to maximizing your potential and impact on those closest to you. No one exists in a vacuum. We’re all members of the human species. As such, our life force separates us from all other species.
- Insomnia – In a 2015 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, older adults experiencing insomnia found relief in the form of improved sleep quality and less daytime impairment after undergoing a 6-week intervention of mindfulness meditation.
Make it simple it does not have to be elaborate to have a quiet moment to breathe and let go of the challenging opportunities of growth.
- Learn to create and enjoy your silence.
- Practice affirmations: I am worthy, I deserve the best.
- Practice eating healthy and drinking plenty of pure water.
- Acknowledge your strength, wisdom, and power to create your reality.
- Create a sacred space for your silence.
- Practice seeing your inner beauty.
- Celebrate your accomplishments.
- Learn and practice breathing exercises.
- Create time for exercise, yoga, or cardio work-out.
- Make an appointment to have massage therapy.
Suggestions for entertaining silence
At a loss for effortless ways to get in the practice of entertaining silence? It isn’t as difficult as you might think, and anyone can begin to cultivate silence to help benefit overall health and well-being. Try these suggestions:
- Invite a friend for a walk outside in nature. Then, make sure to walk at least part of the way in mutual silence. You can also walk solo to get more in tune with nature and allow your mind to take a quiet time-out.
- Remain in bed an extra 5 minutes before getting up for the day. Use this time to slowly awaken to the world, basking in the silence of the sleeping quarters, letting your thoughts wash over you. Say a silent prayer of gratitude for all that you have and ask for blessings for the day ahead.
- Engage in deep breathing exercises. This helps calm your mind and quiet it at the same time.
- Meditate. This practice can be whatever you want it to be, from simple to more intricate. Teach yourself or join a class, whatever works for you to get in the habit of silently witnessing your thoughts.
Make a commitment to do something on your list weekly. However, to see changes the key word is consistency the more you involve your moments of silence in your life the more you will experience compassion, joy, wellness, love, kindness, wealth and health. Greatness is coded in your DNA. So be that which you are.
So you know, LifeWellness Wholistic Center provides complimentary meditation learning techniques and also provides massages at their facilities at Lashibi and Kokomlemle.
Call and schedule an appointment.
Credits: Dr. Akua Gray and Catherine Boutte – Compliments of A Life Of Peace Journal Volume 1, Issue 2
https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-hidden-benefits-of-silence/
