Silence & Solitude Pt. 1: 6 Reasons to Unplug

The number one mental and emotional benefit of silence and solitude is clarity. There’s a reason why school exams aren’t usually performed with a background soundtrack. Auditory stillness helps us focus. Without external stimulus, our brains can better concentrate on the task at hand. Silence not only gives us clarity in our education, but our work and relationships too. And with clarity comes better choices that lead to a more fulfilling life. Our culture is very task-oriented and efficiency-focused. But ironically, the more time you spend being still, the more productive you’ll become.

We’ve all experienced a sense of overwhelm at a loud concert or party. That’s because noise raises the stress hormone, cortisol in your body. Racing and runaway thoughts are a sure sign of anxiety and stress too. It might seem like you’re creating more space for anxious thoughts by being silent and secluded, but in reality you’re doing the opposite. Instead, you can use silence and solitude to bring mental stillness into your life. Ultimately, mental stillness is the key to mindfulness, which has proven to be beneficial for fighting anxiety.

Silence is wonderful for your brain. It gives your prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for planning, personal expression, and social interaction, a break from processing stimuli. Not only that, being still can help you tap into something called the “default mode” of your brain. This default mode allows your mind to take over and daydream, contemplate, and get lost in your thoughts. Evidence has shown that this state helps to replenish brain cells. If the brain is hardly ever at rest, it can’t restore and regenerate, and then you can’t think straight.

Clearing your head with a prolonged silence and solitude could be the key to increasing your creativity. Humans are natural problem-solvers. Problem solving requires a great deal of creativity, which in turn, requires a great deal of silence. Long periods of alone time have proven to increase productivity and improve problem-solving. Taking quiet time alone helps us learn to digest our thoughts and make room for sparks of creativity and inspired actions. It gives you the chance to process everything and gives your brain time to “cook a little.”

It might go without saying, but most of us need a quiet environment in order to sleep. But most people don’t realize to what extent we need the quiet at bedtime. The stress from outside noise can actually disrupt nighttime rest to the same degree as a sleep disorder. However, you shouldn’t wait until your head hits the pillow to turn off the noise. Getting some quiet throughout the day can set you up for better rest at night. Silence can stimulate brain growth and relieve tension, which can result in feeling more relaxed in general, making it easier to get better sleep.

No matter your spiritual or religious perspective, silence and solitude are spiritually powerful and healing. Silence and solitude help you work through trauma and disappointment. Trauma, negative feelings, and underlying issues often rise up when you’re silent. Being still and taking time to rest gives you time to work through things you didn’t even know were an issue. This part might seem uncomfortable or scary, but it’s an important part of recovery. Changing your lifestyle and unhealthy habits can’t happen until you work through the underlying cause of your addiction.