Talking connects us to others. Silence connects us to ourselves.
Although the New Year holidays have since come and gone, many Americans are still reeling from the ripple effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on all aspects of our lives. From the way we learn and work to the ups and downs of our current economy, the pandemic's long-term implications have yet to be truly understood, and likely won't be truly known for years to come. This uncertainty, triggered by the disruption to our "old normal", has caused stress and anxiety levels to rise sharply over the past year, with nearly three in every four Americans expressing concerns about the state of our economy and how it will affect them and their families.
In a report from early summer in 2020, the Census Bureau stated that nearly one-third of all Americans were experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, millions of Americans have turned to tools such as self-help books, health and wellness coaches, and meditation applications to help lower their levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. One such meditation mobile app is Relaxx, founded by urologist Dr. Krishna Bhatta of Bangor, Maine, which utilizes a divergent approach to the "traditional" meditative practice of intermittent silence.
"As a medical professional, I am intimately familiar with the physical and mental health benefits that meditation can bring," says Dr. Bhatta. "The term intermittent silence is one I use to describe and represent 'taking a break' from life and its stressors.
Just as a professional athlete will notice their heart rate decrease and stabilize when they go from the playing field to the bench, intermittent silence and meditation do the same to our brain.
By being able to silence both the world around us and our stream of thoughts about it, the brain is given a chance to rest. Even if it is only for 10 minutes at a time."
As with all forms of meditation, it is unlikely that practitioners of intermittent silence will immediately notice significant changes in their behavior. This is why Dr. Bhatta and his team recommend using the practice for at least 10 minutes a day, preferably at the same time and in the same (or a similar) location. Relaxx utilizes both guided and unguided meditation sessions to help listeners shut off their brain for a few minutes each day, which has been scientifically proven to boost mindfulness, physical wellness, as well as lower levels of, and mitigate symptoms brought about by, anxiety, depression, and stress.
The label of intermittent silence, as Dr. Bhatta refers to it, makes sense in the context of meditation. For example, consider the term "intermittent fasting." There is an appeal to participate in actions that can help us feel better and improve our health, yet only have to be undertaken in regular, short bursts.
Whereas intermittent fasting has shown to have positive health benefits for many who have struggled with strict diet and exercise routines, intermittent silence has shown similar mental health benefits for those who feel pressured to or have the need to talk and communicate constantly.
By becoming more aware and mindful of when we are speaking, we, in turn, become more aware of what we are speaking and communicating to ourselves and others.
"By not speaking, we can potentially learn how to respond appropriately after a pause and thought," explains Bhatta, "rather than immediately reacting to any input, be it email or verbal."
Dr. Chloe Carmichael, a yoga instructor and clinical psychologist who practices intermittent silence, explains that the practice of intermittent silence gives the Wernicke and the Broca area, the two areas of the brain responsible for listening and speech, a much needed break. Both Carmichael and Bhatta's claims to the benefits of intermittent silence are backed by findings in a 2013 article published by PubMed Central (PMC), an archive of scientific journals and literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM). The article in question describes how periods of silence as short as two-to-ten minutes were found to stimulate the formation of neurons in the brain, particularly in the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for emotions, learning, and memory.
Practicing intermittent silence daily helps navigate our own emotions and untangles the smaller stressors that contribute to anxiety and depression.
Bhatta also explains that the practice can help navigate and overcome periods of intense negative emotions, such as pain, anger, or sadness, periods which Bhatta refers to as "emotional storms". He further explains that becoming better-versed in identifying and recognizing your own negative emotions and thoughts helps develop the skills necessary to handle those same emotions in daily life, a sentiment that millions of Americans are sure to align with following the onset of last year's pandemic.
