In today’s world, it seems as though “busy” has become the default answer when someone asks “How Are You?”

Busy however, is detrimental to our mental well being.  Think how much of your day is spent in noise, from traffic, to talking, hum of the workplace, scrolling through news and social feeds, listening to podcasts, music; the list goes on.

1. Silence releases tension and stress within the body. A 2006 study published in the Journal Heart found two minutes of silence to be more relaxing than listening to “relaxing” music, based on changes in blood pressure and blood circulation in the brain.

2. Replenish mental resources. The demands of modern life put a significant burden on the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is involved in high-order thinking, decision-making and problem-solving. Your focus will be so much better after time spent in silence.

3. Being Quiet can regenerate brain cells. A 2013 study on mice, published in the journal Brain, Structure, and Function, involved comparing the effects of ambient noise, white noise, pup calls and silence on the rodents’ brains. Although the researchers intended to use silence as a control in the study, they found that two hours of silence daily led to the development of new cells in the hippocampus, a key brain region associated with learning, memory and emotion

An extra benefit to silence, is silent time spent in nature! Join us March 20th for our next event in the forest in Bragg Creek!