Reading and writing fill in the blanks
Most days, I am drowning in noise. As a work-from-home mother, I am stuck in the middle of a busy household with two dogs, two teenagers and a husband who works from the next room. It’s a of Zoom calls, phone notifications, video games, music and barking, and that’s before my neighbor starts up his leaf blower. Is it any wonder I long for some silence? The World Health Organization me up – it says that our world is too noisy and that this is harming our health. Of course, for centuries we have known the importance of quietness: in many religions, silence is promoted as a healing process. But my noisy surroundings got me wondering what benefits there are to seeking silence in the modern age. Figuring out what peace and quiet actually does for our mental and physical health is the ambition of a group of neuroscientists and health professionals who are beginning to the benefits. By getting to grips with their research, I discover that a little silence may be vital to offset the detrimental effects of our noisy world.