Before you start reading this text, stop and pay attention to all the sounds you can hear around you.
To talk about silence, we also need to talk about sound. and how we don't use our sense of hearing well. At that moment when you stopped to listen to the sounds around you, what did you identify? Maybe a conversation from someone nearby, a noise from an electronic device on, the cell phone ringing with the message that just arrived, the neighbor's dog barking... But, before you stop and notice them, how many of these sounds were you actually listening?
If, on the one hand, our vision is attracting our focus all the time, our hearing is often in automatic mode and we don't even realize how we are affected by everyday sounds. And that's exactly where the silence comes in.
Sounds can affect our mood, our emotions and our state of mind at all times, but, as we do not pay attention to what we hear, we end up not being aware of how much we are being affected in a beneficial or harmful way by sounds. So before I tell you how silence can benefit you, I want you to start listening more. And not automatically. Pay attention to every sound you hear during the day and gradually you will realize that some of them you like and others you don't. This is the first step towards valuing silence.
If, for example, a car horn makes you angry and the sound of birds singing can calm you, what does silence give you? Silence is the equivalent of emptiness. It's the absence of sound. Just as the absence of visual stimuli can make the brain slow down and relax, the absence of sound can help empty the mind and bring clarity to thoughts. For many of the everyday problems we cannot find quick answers not because we are stupid, but because we lack clarity of thought. And silence can help you with that.
Now look around you and notice everything What can you change to have more silence in your life?. Turn off appliances you are not using, close the bedroom door, close the window so you don't hear the noise of the neighbor. Have a moment of peace for yourself. And most importantly, learn to be silent. Don't speak when you don't have to. Don't waste energy talking bad about others and gossiping. Everything unnecessary when talking takes energy from you and pollutes your mind.
Start practicing silence little by little and you will see how it gets easier each day. Peace of mind will become real and your mind will thank you for the rest you give it. So, try to be silent. Even if it's just five minutes a day. You will be surprised how silence can help you.
Text written by Ricardo Sturk from the Eu Sem Fronteiras Team
