(ThySistas.com)
Picture it: 1994. A girl is attempting to explain how to work a Lisa Frank pencil sharpener to a friend while the teacher is explaining multiplication. The teacher screams “BE QUIET! No recess!” to the student. Recess rolls around, and she is alone in the detention room. In silence.
Picture it: 2008. A group of first graders are excited about recess, but they forget that they are not on the playground yet. So, their teacher yells “SILENCE!”. Mouths close. Heads bow. Emotions begin to come out through tears.
Picture it: 2019. An eleventh grader is gifted a cell phone. Her first task: download every single type of social media and media app that 
makes noise. Her second task: purchase noise-isolating headphones. Her third task: listen to Skrillex with her headphones at the highest decibel possible in a room of SILENCE.
Oh what a bad reputation silence receives. Whether it is by mistake or on purpose, it is associated with negativity and death. In truth, silence can be one of the greatest assets to healthy living both physically and mentally.
How can something that deals with noise positively impact you physically? While it may not improve your outside appearance, silence does a lot for internal organs and their functioning. Suzanne Kane, author of “The Hidden Benefits of Silence”, provides a list of improvements that can happen because of silence:
- Lower blood pressure…
- Boost the body’s immune system.
- Benefit brain chemistry by growing new cells…
- Decrease stress by lowering blood cortisol levels and adrenaline…
- Promote good hormone regulation and the interaction of bodily hormone-relate systems.
- Prevent plaque formation in arteries.
Most of the aforementioned positives are caused by the involvement of others in our lives. Choosing, however, to spend time alone and time without noise and voices can help you to live longer and healthier. It can also provide something that is harder to find than a needle in a haystack: peace of mind.
When children are young, parents use silence in two ways: give themselves time to think and give the children time to shut up (Hey…might as well be honest.) As children, we are not taught just how much silence can help us to be more cognizant mentally as adults. So we spend so much time attempting to fill our lives with activities and people, and we forget ourselves. We depend on these activities and people to shape who we are because we have not spent time figuring out on our own. This leads to other chronic conditions such as insomnia, stress, anxiety, and other mental disorders. Allowing yourself time to be alone and be without noise allows you time to figure out likes and dislikes, boundaries, expectations, and so much more about you. Then, you can provide more of yourself and others that you love without feeling like you are being controlled. You also allow yourself the chance to make better choices when it comes to who you choose to develop relationships. Silence, in all honesty, can save you heartache and headaches.
I once heard on a TV show the phrase “I will sleep when I am dead!” First, I was offended as an avid fan of sleeping (It is my favorite hobby.). Secondly, I found it weird that someone wants to wait that long for an opportunity to be in silence. Sleep should not be the only time you experience this wonderful attribute. You can experience it while reading. You can experience it in your cubicle at work with headphones. You can pay hundreds a month if you want to go somewhere you will not be bothered. The point is to allow silence to be a friend in your life. It will be the best thing that makes no noise at all.
Staff Writer; J. W. Bella
May also follow this talented sister online over at; JWB Writes.