Most days I am drowning in noise. As a work-at-home mom, I am stuck in the middle of a busy household with two dogs, two teenagers, and a husband who works in the next room. It’s a cacophony of Zoom calls, phone notifications, video games, music, and barking, and that’s before the neighbors start their leaf blowers.
Is it any wonder that I want silence? The World Health Organization also supports me. They say that our world is too noisy and it is damaging our health. Of course, we have known the importance of silence for centuries. Many religions encourage silence as an important healing process. But with all the noise around me, I wondered what benefits there are in asking for silence in modern times.
These days people go everywhere in search of tranquility. They attend monasteries for quiet retreats, or head out into the hills for a weekend of peace. There is also an increasing tendency to spend time in sensory deprivation tanks and floating tanks if they can afford it.certainly in his book Silence: In the age of noiseNorwegian explorer Erling Kagge calls silence “the new luxury.”
Figuring out what peace and quiet really does for our mental and physical health is the ambition of a group of neuroscientists and medical professionals who are beginning to unravel its benefits. Understanding their research made me realize that a little silence can be essential in counteracting the negative effects of our noisy world. But how much quietness do you need and where can you get it?
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