Sounds surround us every day: radios, televisions, iPods, telephones, children, bosses, coworkers, vehicles, dishwashers, toys, and even our own minds.
Each day our senses are bombarded with a variety of sounds. Some sounds become so familiar that we don’t even know they’re there. Other sounds are jarring and easily break our concentration.
We have become so accustomed to noise in our lives that silence actually unnerves us. When was the last time you jumped in the car and turned off the radio? Have you ever considered sitting on the couch without the television or game system on?
Shutting out the Noise
Some sounds are pleasant – a baby’s cry at birth, children laughing, birds singing, crickets chirping, or music. Some sounds are not – alarm clocks, trucks grinding to a halt, squeaking brakes or door hinges, or someone having a temper tantrum.
I’m sure if we sat quietly long enough, you would agree that a part of you longs for moments of silence. A mother longs for the moment when the children are in bed and asleep. Perhaps some reading this article have deliberately scheduled quiet time into their day to pray or meditate.
Sometimes the silence itself seems to scream as the things we’ve experienced over the course of the day cascade in around us, taking up the space of the outside noise. But we all need these times. Our senses need a chance to de-stress too. Our minds need those opportunities to process what we’ve heard, seen, or learned, and then to rest.
It is so much easier to keep our lives filled with noises and sounds than it is to sit in silence with our own thoughts and feelings.
De-Stressing with Silence
Tatyana Gann, an online marketing mentor, on her website www.globalmentormarketing.com, describes the importance of silence this way: “It is about learning how to isolate yourself and connect with yourself for a few minutes a day. It is like turning off the switch button for a few minutes and recharging.”
For Tatyana, there are seven reasons why silence is important:
1) Silence allows us to reflect upon ourselves and our purpose in life
2) Silence enables us to process and let go of negative thoughts that have built up
3) Silence is an action and a powerful communication tool. Silence sometimes speaks louder than our voice
4) Silence allows us to listen for that nudge of intuition, where it would normally be drowned out by the noise around us
5) Silence enable us to see the beauty of what’s around us and appreciate those things that get lost in the normal hustle and bustle of life
6) Silence allows us to consider what we have to be thankful for, to change our perspective to positive instead of negative
7) Silence also allows us to see something we might have missed in the rush of the day, and gives us the opportunity to make the right decisions.
“That all can be done in 15 minutes a day,” Tatyana said. “You just need to find a spot in your house or even if you are in a busy place where people come and go, find 15 minutes to tell yourself that it is time for YOU. YOU deserve to relax and forget for 15 minutes that everything else exists around you. You do not have to listen to meditation music because listening to silence is the best music your mind and your body can express and listen at the same time.”
Sources: www.globalmentormarketing.com