How the Power of Silence Can Rewire Your Brain and Transform Health
by Carolanne Wright
Wake Up World
“Unnecessary noise is the most cruel absence of care that can be inflicted on sick or well.” ~ Florence Nightingale
In this day and age, we’d be hard-pressed to find a few moments without the cacophony of modern life swirling around us. With 24/7 access to television, streaming video, radio and all sorts of digital music, we might not give a second thought to the constant audio bombardment. Nor do we typically notice the day-to-day chatter from our coworkers, friends and families. Then there’s the constant buzz of lawnmowers, highways, trains, planes and automobiles. But science is finding that “noise pollution” may very well dumb us down, compromise health and dramatically increase stress and the accompanying hormones — unfortunately, this last bit can lead to weight-gain and heart disease. Even low levels of noise can trigger a cascade of undesirable effects. It’s enough to drive one mad — literally.
In a world where noise is a given and rarely a choice, silence sells because it’s so uncommon. Finland has built a tourist industry around it by marketing silence as a resource, with catchy country branding like “Silence, Please” and “No talking, but action.” Finnish watch maker Rönkkö has also taken up the torch by proclaiming their products are “Handmade in Finnish silence.” In the quest for ever elusive quiet, people will shell out hundreds of dollars for noise-canceling headphones or pay into the thousands for silent meditation retreats. Beyond simply being a rare commodity, scientists are proving what we already know on an intuitive level — periods of silence are good for the body, mind and soul. But it’s only recently been discovered how crucial peace and quiet really is for our well-being.
A clamorous world is an unhealthy one
The translation for the Latin root “noise” is nausea or pain — which is exactly what happens when we are exposed to loud environments, especially if we are sensitive to sound to begin with. When noise becomes a chronic problem, our health ultimately suffers.
Read more »
Every Day is Earth Day
Source: http://www.riseearth.com/2016/06/how-power-of-silence-can-rewire-your.html
