What is silence?
Silence can be a powerful thing. It can be used to calm, to meditate and even to focus. But silence can also cause stress and anxiety when you don’t know what it means or how to handle it. Let’s start by defining what silence is:
Physical silence: A situation in which no sound is being made at all, either because there is no one around or because the environment has been sufficiently soundproofed (for example, in an airplane). Mental silence: An absence of thought processes or inner dialogue—a state of restful alertness from which one may have a heightened awareness of their surroundings or themselves.
Now that we understand what silence means for us as people and for our bodies, let's look at some examples of times when there was an absence of sound within these two categories:
Physical Silence: The moment after a loud bang but before your ears stop ringing! For this scenario, there are two types of mental silences that come into play here: one where you try desperately not to think about anything else besides getting over this ringing sensation; another where your mind might wander off into thoughts about other loud noises happening around you (and how they aren't nearly as bad as yours). Both scenarios lead you down paths that will ultimately keep your mind busy enough so that no new damage occurs on top of already existing issues with hearing sensitivity due to previous experiences such as concerts/bars etc... Mental Silence (no inner dialogue): While meditating on my yoga mat at home during quiet time between classes--it was just me being still long enough without having any other thoughts except "I am here."
What does silence do for us?
There's a reason why silence is a major part of meditation—it's good for you. When we're quiet, we can listen to our own thoughts and feelings. We can also hear the other people around us think. Silence helps us cope with stress and anxiety by giving us time to process information more effectively.
And there are other benefits that come from quieting down the noise in your head. By listening closely to sounds around you with your eyes closed, for example, you might discover new sounds or become more aware of what's happening around you than usual
The restful sounds of silence
Silence is good.
We need to learn how to use silence as a restful sound.
Restful sounds of silence are all around us, if we just learn how to hear them.
The wind gently whistling through the trees, rustling leaves into a whisper.
The soft hum of an electric fan while it's on low speed, cooling you down after a hard day at work or school.
The gentle roar of raindrops falling from clouds high above our heads onto roofs and sidewalks below us that we may not even be aware exist until they become part of this soundtrack for our lives in this moment—you get the picture! There are many ways that nature can provide us with these kinds of experiences that can be both calming and soothing for our minds during times when we have difficulty finding release from stress (because there's no such thing as complete rest).
The power of silence
Silence is the power of rest
When you are silent, you become more aware of yourself and others. You become more attentive, too.
If you're in a group, silence can help you hear the thoughts and feelings of others better. It can help you to see things more clearly because it allows time for reflection; it makes us more open to new ideas and experiences.
Silence is also a great way to experience nature—it gives us time to tune into our surroundings so we can notice things such as birdsong or the wind rustling through trees or leaves falling from branches onto ground below them
When the silence overwhelms us
You're at home, in your room. It's quiet as a tomb, and you want to scream: "I can't breathe!" Because the silence is overwhelming. You just want someone... anyone... to talk with. So you text your friend who lives across town: "Wanna come over?" But they're too busy. And then another friend says they have homework to do, and so on and so forth until you find yourself alone with your thoughts once again.
When the silence tempts us
When the silence tempts us to abandon our faith, we must remember that God loves us and is always with us. God’s presence is not dependent on the volume of sound around us, and neither should it be for us.
When the silence tempts us to do the wrong thing, we must remember that God desires nothing more than that we obey Him above all else. As such, He will not allow anything good come from something that goes against His will—and certainly not from something as simple as an empty room!
When the silence tempts us to be dishonest with ourselves or others about who we really are deep down inside of ourselves (or even in front of them), it’s important for all parties involved to spend some time reflecting on what this means about their character traits in general terms before making any rash decisions based solely upon current circumstances at hand — whether those decisions might involve changing careers paths entirely or simply telling someone how often they use profanity during conversations between themselves alone.*
The Savior and silence
The Savior knew the importance of silence and solitude. He went off by himself to pray, to commune with his Father in Heaven. Jesus Christ was a good example for us all, because he understood the need for quiet time. If we want to be like him and become closer with our Heavenly Father, then we should follow his example by going off alone sometimes too.
There is an important place for quiet in our lives, but we need to learn how to handle it.
Silence is a necessary part of life. We need time to think and reflect on what’s going on around us. If we don’t take the time to do this, we can end up in a state of constant stress and anxiety, which can lead to serious health problems.
However, it’s important that we learn how to handle silence so that it doesn't become something harmful or destructive in our lives. Here are some ways you can use quiet times effectively:
Be aware of the silence around you. The first step in learning how to handle quiet times is being aware of them in the first place! Practice paying attention when your surroundings are silent—you'll be surprised at how often there actually is silence around us! This will help us be able to better use those moments for personal reflection later on when we need them most.* Use quiet time as an opportunity for growth and reflection—try scheduling regular "quiet sessions" throughout each day so that every day has at least one period where nothing else is happening except for self-reflection (whether by simply sitting quietly and meditating or doing another activity like reading). You may also want set aside specific hours every week only devoted solely towards this purpose; however again remember not too overwhelm yourself with too much time either way.* Create a rule of life: Rule Your Life In Order That You May Rule Yourself Better - Seneca
