Silence, please.
Click start to play today’s Spell It and create the word “quietness”.
Our world is a noisy place, and I’m not just talking about our physical environment (although that can have a negative impact on our health, too). Switch on a screen and you have instant clutter: people talking, cat memes flashing, ads competing for your attention, trolls berating people for no reason, and other assaults to our senses that can become incredibly tedious.
So, it’s no wonder that we all need some quiet time.
Recent studies have shown that taking time for silence restores our nervous system, helps us regain and sustain energy, and conditions our minds to become more adaptive and responsive to our complex environments.
According to a December 2013 study in the UK-based journal Brain Structure and Function, silence is associated with the development of new cells in the hippocampus region of the brain, which is the area that has to do with learning and memory.
In a September 2021 study published in the journal Indoor Air, 59 participants were given tasks that required concentration and focus. They had to do it with either silence, speech, or other noise playing in the background. The study found that those who worked in silence experienced the least cognitive load and the lowest stress levels.
But cultivating silence doesn’t just have to do with exterior sounds. The kind of silence that facilitates clear thoughts and creative processes, also quiets our inner chatter. It’s hard to drop into deeper modes of listening and attention when we are constantly thinking of what to say, what to write or what to tweet. It’s why we have to take time out to shut out the noise. According to a report in the US-based business magazine Harvard Business Review, here are four practical ideas to cultivate quiet periods of time:
1. Take time out for yourself at work
If you’re able to, just close the office door, head to a park bench or find another quiet nook to hit reset and sit in silent meditation or reflection.
2. Engage with Nature
There’s no need to ditch your phone or become an outdoorsy person – but a simple two- or three-hour hike or an afternoon spent immersed in Nature is the best way to clear your mind and to improve creative thinking.
3. Go on a media detox
Turn off your email for a few hours or a day if you can, or disconnect from social media. While there’s still plenty of noise (like conversations, city sounds and so on) competing for your attention, you can enjoy the benefits of disconnecting from unending work obligations, or tracking social media.
4. Go on a meditation retreat
Even a short retreat can help you awaken your intuition and engage in deeper listening. A hiatus from all the clutter in your life can help slow things down, and give your mind the peace and silence it craves on a regular basis.
Do you take time out to be silent? Play today’s Spell It and tell us at games@gulfnews.com.
