Silence. How much of it are you getting on a day to day basis? If you’re anything like me, NOT MUCH! It’s only natural to feel the urge to consume information, books, podcasts, TV, movies, music, YouTube videos … we have come to a time in society when we feel utterly useless if we’re not growing, expanding or entertaining ourselves. We feel like we are “wasting time” by sitting still with nothing but our thoughts. It feels uncomfortable and unnatural and utterly unproductive.

But, silence and non-doing aren’t just nice breaks from the noise of our busy lives, they’re imperative for our overall physical health and well-being!

They’ve found that silence has the power to:

*

Boost
the body’s immune system.
*


Regenerate
brain 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. 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.

*

Promote
good hormone regulation and the interaction of bodily
hormone-related systems.
*

Prevent
plaque formation in arteries.

Science also now recognizes the harmful effects of noise pollution on human health and cognition.

Silence
promotes psychological and emotional benefits

* Creativity – because when we allow thoughts to go where they will, inspiration has the opportunity to 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 arise, helping build momentum and excitement for spinning them off into yet other potential avenues to pursue. * Silence can help us increase our Awareness of self and our emotions – Once you’re comfortable in your silence, you’ll notice a distinct shift in your ability to be more self-aware. It also helps us to better appreciate the world around us. * Silence helps us to develop our intuition. We all have intuitive gifts, it’s just that so often we are so full of noise that we cannot distinguish our inner wisdom from the voices outside our reality. Silence has really helped me trust in myself more and learn to tune into my own body to hear it’s messages. * Silence also helps us sleep better – 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