Why is it important to imbibe silence in our day-to-day lives?

We are surrounded by sounds or noises almost all the time – the whistle from a pressure cooker, loud sound from television, or unbearable noise from repeated honking. We are not only addicted to noise but to hurry also. Due to our rushed lives, we fail to acknowledge the value of a silence. For ages, we heard, silence is golden. I believe there must be a strong reason behind the quote. Silence is a tool to restore our souls by breaking engagement with the world. Silence is a source of great strength, says Lao Tzu. I call such a moment of silence My Me Time.

Our hurried lifestyles plus excessive dose of gadgets not only affect adults but children too. Carl Honore, in his book, In Praise of Slowness says, Children suffer from health issues when leading rushed lives. Children as young as five are suffering from stress-induced upset stomach, headache, insomnia, depression, and eating disorders. To handle overstimulation, children suppress their awareness of the environment and people around them. Suppression disconnects children from themselves as well as others, explains Susan Dermond in Calm and Compassionate Children.

Stress is inevitable in day-to-day lives, not only for adults but for children too. However, we can help them reconnect by allowing children daily moments of silence. If we do so, children will be better prepared to handle and cope with the stressful situations coming their way. It reminded me of the model of West Baltimore School where meditation took over the place of detention/punishments.Unruly students are encouraged to go to the ‘Mindful Moment Room, where they do exercises like deep breathing by closing their eyes. Once they are calm, the solution is reached depending on what happened. It is proven that regular use of silence area in a school setting not only provides students with moments of solitude but also benefits their social-emotional development through gains in self-regulation and self-awareness.

Our monkey mind has a primate tendency to wander easily without much effort. Due to our non-stop lives, we might have silenced many layers of unpleasant life experiences without our conscious realization. The consequence is our cluttered state of mind. Like everything else, deep cleaning of our mind should be part of our routine, to think clearly. We find the term ‘Right’ Mindfulness in Buddhist writings-it has nothing to do with our usual understanding of doing the right thing. ‘Right’ mindfulness is the process of seeing clearly into the situation, using the wisdom of our experiences, and making choices that move us towards our well-being. We cultivate steadiness in the face of challenges so that our sagacity can guide us effectively.

BENEFITS OF SILENT MOMENTS IN OUR LIVES

A study found that engaging in two hours of silence could create new cells in the hippocampus region of the brain. A moment of silence also decreases stress by lowering cortisol level in adrenaline, reduces BP, prevents plaque formation in arteries, promotes good hormone regulation, and boosts the immune system. 

The most beneficial outcome is that silence helps to control our tongue-when we are silent, we lay down the weapon of words- we are just listeners. Mindful living, regulation of emotion, victory over insomnia, ability to remove dirt clogging our mind – can all be accomplished through a moment of silence. It also helps to break the cycle of urgency- to manage everything all the time. Silence also makes us self-compassionate. Studies support that self-compassion greatly enhances emotional well-being, boosts happiness, reduces anxiety and depressive thoughts. 

WHAT WE CAN DO IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES TO IMBIBE SILENCE

• Devote daily 10-15 mins to me time-moment of silence. Do whatever works for you to get in the habit of silently witnessing your thoughts. If meditation is something new for you, join a class or teach yourself. Deep breathing exercises calm our mind as well as body. Research findings suggest that mindfulness-based practices increase creativity, concentration, self-regulation, and executive functions. 
• Schedule a day in a week or fortnight for silence and solitude. For better co-operation, a badge with a message, ‘I am on silence today’ might be helpful. 
• Practicing regular pauses before we speak will be beneficial for better connections. Research states that people are more motivated to mend their relationship after meditating in silence.

If you could get rid of the constant chatter in your mind even for a moment, the peace and serenity experienced would be unmatched. Being aware of your awareness can be attained through regular mindful moments of objectively observing your thoughts instead of being lost in them.

Thank you for your time and patience. If you enjoyed reading my post, please like, follow, share and comment & thanks again for visiting my page. Stay Safe,

Stay Safe
Best Wishes,   
Pallavi Sahu   
Rehabilitation Psychologist   
pausementalwellnessstudio.com  

pausementalwellnessstudio participates in amazon affiliate advertising program.

Advertisement