No Noise PollutionZen is About Finding Peace and Balance in Everyday Life

For many people the day begins with rushing from one task to another. For some, it begins at the right pace with plenty of time to get dressed, get a hot beverage, and read the morning news. But for most it also means the beginning of a day full of noise both inwardly and outwardly.

Noise Pollution

We wake in the morning to the sounds of our alarms invading our sleep. We then may reach immediately for remotes to play the news while we rush around. Others may pop in earphones and start the day with their favorite music. These actions alone are not necessarily a bad thing. But when we fill our environment with extra noises we can actually cause permanent hearing loss! Even as I write this I have my dishwasher running, the cicadas are very loud outside, traffic is continually going by, and someone outside is running a lawn mower. There are noises all around us and we add to these noises without even trying. While in the car we may automatically turn on the radio or plug in our MP3 players. We get to our places of employment and have our occupational noises constantly thrumming in our ears. We ride home to more news or music and household noises. We are surrounded by artificial noises! By artificial I mean noises that are not simply noises from nature. I have found myself so overstimulated from noise that my anxiety level was so high I could barely hold a rational conversation! Noise pollution also takes away your ability to mentally relax. When we sleep at night our minds are still running in all directions. We dream and our bodies continue to function. But the mind and body should use this time to slow down function, allowing the body to heal. It’s like a catch up time for the body. Our immune system depends on this rest to build up its troops for fighting infection and disease.

What is Harmful Noise?

One article I found titled “What Causes Hearing Loss,” noted the following:

“…permanent hearing loss begins at about 85 dB, typical of a hair dryer, food processor or kitchen blender.”

Some parents are given advice like running a vacuum, a clothes dryer or washer, or some other form of constant repetitive noise to help calm their infants. While this may work it should not be a regular occurrence as this noise is actually at a level that can do harm to their sensitive ears. These noises over time can harm even an adult’s ability to process information!

Take Control!

Many noises, like the neighbor’s mower or the cicadas outside, can’t be avoided. I don’t want to close up my house and shut out the benefits of fresh air. What you can do is make sure you’re not adding to the everyday noises. If you can wait to plug in every morning and simply enjoy whatever measure of quiet you can achieve, you will reap the benefits! By shutting down your devices and wearing ear plugs when performing tasks (like using a hair dryer) you can successfully minimize the long-term damage. Reducing noise pollution in your home will greatly reduce your risk of energy burnout also! You can also improve your mental function! When we minimize distractions in our lives we are able to shut down mentally. Give your body and mind a rest! Take some time every day and try to create a noise-free zone in your home. You will begin to feel less anxiety in your daily life. You will be able to think clearer. If you have children, try dedicating an hour before bedtime as reading time. Shut down everything you can and use this as quiet time for the whole family. You and your children will sleep better and wake up feeling more refreshed! By creating this quiet, noise-free zone you will be able to begin to restore some peace and balance to your life. This is one part of bringing Zen into your life!  

Applications & Resources

  • Check out what the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported about noise and children
  • Go to EPA’s website for a very insightful article on noise and young ears
  • One study that was done showed a correlation between  noise-induced stress and burnout
  • Shut down, Tune out, and Refresh! Take some time for you! Our minds are so busy with all we have to accomplish in a day. It can be overwhelming trying to reach every goal we set for ourselves. By taking a little quiet time we can let all the stresses from the day simply wash away.
iGOZEN is a philosophy and a way of life. We believe in finding balance in everything we do. We focus on living for today, and keeping ourselves accountable for how we treat each other and our environment. We hope you enjoy our blog and articles and encourage you to find ways to bring peace and balance into your own life.