I recently encountered a quite remarkable TED Talk by Nick Seaver titled “The Gift of Silence.” Seaver discusses the importance of solitude and silence in our lives, as he views such ideals as precious gifts. However, Seaver also acknowledges that, in reality, there are limits to finding such values in our busy lives, noting that the human obsession with connectivity and change makes it impossible to find true moments of quiet. Despite this, Seaver maintains his claim that silence is crucial to keep.

This raised an intriguing question: “When, if ever, can we find silence?” In this modern world filled with so many people and activities occurring simultaneously, a time of silence could seem difficult to find. From the noises of urban traffic to constant chatter and buzzes on social media, the environment around us makes our lives almost impossible to be free from audible stimuli. 

Even as you are reading this article, you are likely surrounded by noise, perhaps from music ringing from your headphones or your Instagram notifications popping up by your side. The truth is simple: most of us are trapped in an unconscious state of noise and discord. As a result, there is no time to embrace silence. While this may all sound futile, setting aside a time for silence is essential to fulfilling our human needs of peace, reflection, and clarity. 

Let’s be clear about one thing: silence is not merely the absence of noise. It is a state that allows for a deeper connection to oneself and the environment. In a period of silence, we are able to become more attuned to small details previously unnoticed or hearing sounds that we had previously ignored.

The definition of silence remains argued by many to be a largely ‘theoretical’ concept. For example, a 2009 book Sounds and Perceptions found that hearing silence is “the successful perception of the absence of a sound, not the failure to hear a sound.” In other words, these researchers argue that silence can be heard and perceived by us as a separate state, freeing us from other undesired noise or cacophony.

There are numerous benefits to finding a time to “hear silence”—as we can call it. Multiple researchers have conducted studies to label the similarities between time of silence and many crucial factors in our lives such as stress, concentration, and coordination to find convincing results. For example, a 2021 study examining the connections between silence and level of concentration found that participants who performed tasks in silence consistently scored lowest stress levels and “less cognitive load.” Other studies have pointed out that silence can be a remedy to get rid of racing thoughts, helping us clear out the often unnecessary overload of thoughts in our head. 

Despite the wide-range of benefits of finding silence in our lives, many people find that it is difficult to come by. However, silence remains crucial for our well-being, and we can begin searching for it through small steps. 

For me, when I began realizing that I was lacking a time of silence in my life, I noted down what were the most common sources of noise in my life. A common source of noise I found was music, which I had practically carried around me for my entire day. From taking runs to finishing homework and exercising, music was always ringing in my ear, almost pushing me away from the main objectives of my tasks. 

So I took the most obvious next step; I got rid of such noise. Specifically, I decided to head out on a run in pure silence, without my AirPods plugged in or a friend to chat with next to me on the run. Suddenly, I could sense the breeze of the morning air and the sun illuminating from the sky; I could finally hear silence.

In the end, finding a time of silence in your life can initially sound hard to find, but a time of solitude and quiet—even for a matter of minutes—can allow your thoughts to settle in and soothe the soul.