24.11.28 The Hidden Physical & Mental Health Benefits of Silence

[김상태]

Silence is golden, they say, and for good reason. Noise pollution impacts millions of people every day.

침묵이 금이라고 하는데, 그럴 만한 이유가 있습니다. 소음 공해는 매일 수백만 명의 사람들에게 영향을 미칩니다.

Exposure to loud noise can also cause stress, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, and many other health problems, says the CDC.

                     CDC: Center for Disease Control (미국의 질병 관리 센터).

시끄러운 소음에 노출되면 스트레스, 불안, 우울증, 고혈압, 심장병 및 기타 여러 가지 건강 문제가 발생할 수 있다고 CDC는 말합니다.

Therefore, in an ever-noisy world full of distractions and background noise, saying nothing and spending some quiet time with oneself can be a welcome relief.

                    ᛜdis·trác·tion n.① 󰇆 정신이 흐트러짐; 주의 산만, 방심.

                    ⁑re·lief [rilíːf] n. (pl. ~s) ①) (고통·곤란·지루함 따위의) 경감, 제거 ②a) 구원, rud구조, 구제; 원조 물자〔자금〕

따라서 산만하고 주변 소음으로 가득한 시끄러운 세상에서 아무 말도 하지 않고 혼자만의 조용한 시간을 보내는 것은 환영할 만한 경감방안이 될 수 있습니다.

But silence has many more health benefits than you perhaps realize. Science says that time spent in silence can bring various mental and physical health benefits.

하지만 침묵은 당신이 알고 있는 것보다 훨씬 더 많은 건강상의 이점을 가져다줍니다. 과학적 지식에 따르면 침묵의 시간은 다양한 정신적, 신체적 건강상의 이점을 가져올 수 있다고 합니다.

Our lives are so busy that we don’t often get to find moments of silence, but when you discover its great benefits, you will start looking for reasons to get quiet.

우리의 삶은 너무 바빠서 침묵의 순간을 자주 찾지 못하지만, 침묵의 큰 이점을 알게 되면 침묵해야 할 이유를 찾게 될 것입니다.

1. Stimulates brain growth            두뇌 성장 촉진

Research suggests that quieting the mind can help stimulate brain growth.

연구에 따르면 마음을 차분히 가라앉히는 것이 두뇌 성장을 촉진하는 데 도움이 될 수 있다고 합니다.

A 2013 animal study in mice found that 2 hours of silence each day helped develop new cells in the hippocampus, the region of the brain associated with memory, emotions, and the ability to learn.

2013년 생쥐를 대상으로 한 동물 연구에 따르면 매일 2시간씩 침묵하면 기억, 감정, 학습 능력과 관련된 뇌 영역인 해마에 새로운 세포가 발달하는 것으로 나타났습니다.

This is intriguing and requires further research to understand if humans will experience the same effects.

                      in·trígu·ing ɑ.음모를 꾸미는; 흥미를〔호기심을〕 자아내는.

이는 매우 흥미로운데, 인간에게도 동일한 효과가 나타날지 알아보기 위한 추가 연구가 필요합니다.

2. Relieves stress      스트레스 풀기

We all feel stressed from time to time, but sometimes, stress can be so acute that we are left overwhelmed with racing thoughts.

우리 모두는 때때로 스트레스를 받지만, 때로는 스트레스가 너무 심해서 경쟁적인 생각에 압도당할 수도 있습니다.

Practicing silence might help. A 2006 study found that 2 minutes of silence can be more calming than listening to relaxing music.

침묵 연습이 도움이 될 수 있습니다. 2006년에 발표된 연구에 따르면 2분간 침묵하는 것이 편안한 음악을 듣는 것보다 더 안정감을 줄 수 있다고 합니다.

The authors say that changes in blood pressure and blood circulation to the brain are the reasons for this.

저자들은 혈압과 뇌로의 혈액 순환의 변화가 그 이유라고 말합니다.

Some psychologists note that, when we allow ourselves to be in silence, our brains are given the time to hit the reset button and refresh.

일부 심리학자들은 우리가 침묵을 하게 되면 우리 뇌가 재설정 버튼을 누르고 원기를 회복할 시간이 주어진다고 말합니다.

This eventually reduces stress and anxiety symptoms.

침묵은 결국 스트레스와 불안 증상을 줄여주게 됩니다.

Another recent study found that participants who performed their task with noise in the background had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

최근의 또 다른 연구에 따르면 주위가 소음을 배경으로 하는 작업을 수행한 참가자의 스트레스 호르몬인 코르티솔 수치가 더 높은 것으로 나타났습니다.

Excess release of cortisol can lead to weight gain, sleeping difficulties, and a feeling of being overwhelmed.

코르티솔이 과도하게 분비되면 체중 증가, 수면 장애, 압도당하는 느낌을 유발할 수 있습니다.

3. Can improve concentration        집중력 향상 시킬수 있다

Doing any task that requires concentration isn’t possible with loud blaring noise in the background.

시끄러운 소음이 배경에 있으면 집중력이 필요한 작업을 수행할 수 없습니다.

Research says that silence, on the other hand, helps us focus and improves our concentration.

반면 침묵은 우리가 집중을 할 수 있게하고 집중력을 향상시키는 데 도움이 된다는 연구 결과도 있습니다.

When our brain is free from noises, it can concentrate better on the task at hand.

A recent study in 2021 observed 59 participants performing tasks that required concentration with silence, speech, or other noise in the background. The results showed that the participants who worked in silence experienced the lowest stress levels and minimum cognitive load (the amount of information that working memory can hold at a time). Psychologists explain that fully focusing on one thing at a time can help promote calmness amidst activity.

4. Boosts creativity

“Creativity is an enormous benefit of silence and stillness,” says author Maggie Dent in her book, Saving Our Children From Our Chaotic World: Teaching Children the Magic of Silence and Stillness. Science agrees.

Clearing the head from unwanted thoughts and focusing on silence can help boost creativity. While research on this subject is limited, many experts have claimed that mental downtime can lead to better creativity. Studies show that taking breaks can improve your mood and boost your performance. Experts feel that this is because learning to digest our thoughts and quiet the mind can make room for inspired action and spark creativity.

5. Can help lower blood pressure

High blood pressure is often referred to as a “silent killer” because it may show no symptoms. The World Health Organization says that hypertension is a major cause of premature death worldwide and that the number of adults with hypertension increased from 594 million in 1975 to 1.13 billion in 2015.

While there are many lifestyle changes you can make to keep your blood pressure in check, experts say that silence could also help reduce blood pressure. The same study that showed the effects of silence on stress also found that 2 minutes of silence after listening to music significantly lowered participants’ heart rate and blood pressure. The study further states that silence resulted in a greater decrease in heart rate and blood pressure than even slow, relaxing music.

Further, a 2003 study discovered that a chronically noisy environment increases heart rate and blood pressure. While more research is needed to determine how silence helps lower blood pressure, these findings are encouraging.

Ways to get more silence in your life

While it’s impossible to escape the sounds and background noises that constantly surround us, we can find ways to get more silence in our lives.

1. Walk solo in nature a few times every week.

2. Meditate for at least 10 minutes daily. This will allow you to simply sit with your thoughts for a few moments.

3. Take mini-breaks from your task every day. Just close your eyes for those few minutes and let go of your worries.

4. Start your day before the rest of the family members in the house. Sit in silence and savor it. Drink a cup of coffee or read a book. Those extra few minutes of silence as you wake up in the morning will help you embrace the benefits of silence.

5. Try to go digital-free on the weekends and your days off and spend time with yourself. It might be a little difficult at first, but over time, you will savor those moments free of distractions.

Joke-What's Written On This One!?

There was a man who worked for the Post Office whose job was to process all the mail that had illegible addresses.

One day, a letter came addressed in a shaky handwriting to God with no address.

He thought he should open it to see what it was about.

The letter read: "Dear God, I am an 83-year-old widow, living on a very small pension. Yesterday someone stole my purse. It had $100 in it, which was all the money I had until my next pension check. Next Sunday is Christmas, and I had invited two of my friends over for dinner. Without that money, I have nothing to buy food with. I have no family to turn to, and you are my only hope. Can you please help me? Sincerely, Edna"

The postal worker was touched.

He showed the letter to all the other workers.

Each one dug into his or her wallet and came up with a few dollars. By the time he made the rounds, he had collected $96, which they put into an envelope and sent to the woman.

The rest of the day, all the workers felt a warm glow thinking of Edna and the dinner she would be able to share with her friends. Christmas came and went.

A few days later, another letter came from the same old lady to God.

All the workers gathered around while the letter was opened.

It read: "Dear God, How can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me? Because of your gift of love, I was able to fix a glorious dinner for my friends. We had a very nice day and I told my friends of your wonderful gift.

"By the way, there was $4 missing. I think it must have been those bastards at the Post Office!"