Our world today is a non-stop flow of noise. Whether it be our phones, our televisions, our car radios, or our families, we are always surrounded by some sort of noise. Unfortunately, silence is taken for granted in a society that is constantly moving and flooding our ears, eyes, and minds with more and more information and junk.
The great philosopher Confucius once said, “Silence is a true friend who never betrays.” It appears that science now backs those profound words. Recent scientific studies have proved that “silence is golden” for our brains’ health, which has a great impact on our lives.
In 2011, Finland ran a tourist ad campaign that marketed the silence of the country. “Silence, Please” was the slogan they used to draw tourists to the quiet country and take a break from a noisy world. Scientists say they were on to something.
There are multiple brain benefits to silence that have been found including brain cell regeneration, the ability to think conscious profound thoughts, stress and tension relief, and cognitive resource restoration.
Brain Cell Regeneration
A 2013 study published in the journal Brain, Structure and Function showed that when mice were kept in silence for two hours a day, they developed new cells in the hippocampus (a region of the brain associated with memory, emotion and learning).
Silence can help your brain grow!
Conscious Profound Thoughts
In 2013, Joseph Moran wrote that when we have silence, our brain’s go into a “default mode” that helps us think profound thoughts. When the brain rests it is able to integrate internal and external information into “a conscious workspace,” said Moran.
You’ll think smarter!
Stress and Tension Relief
Silence also helps with stress relief. A 2002 study published in Psychological Science (Vol. 13, No. 9) found after monitoring kids who live by Munich’s airport that noise does indeed cause stress.
“This study is among the strongest, probably the most definitive proof that noise – even at levels that do not produce any hearing damage – causes stress and is harmful to humans,” says Gary W. Evans, a professor of human ecology at Cornell University Evans says.
Silence will help you de-stress and release tension.
Cognitive Resource Restoration
Our cognitive abilities are also able to be restored via silence according to the attention restoration theory. The theory claims that when you are in an environment with lower levels of sensory input the brain can ‘recover’ some of its cognitive abilities.
Your brain can actually restore itself in the quiet.
Silence is definitely golden and a true friend. Don’t believe us? Take some time today, find somewhere quiet, and sit in silence. Trust us, you’ll thank us later!
Liked Video this awesome news with someone who may need a bit of quiet time today!
