Quiet please!: How can you be sure that noise won’t make you sick?

A study conducted in Switzerland in 2022 shows that: In parallel with chronic exposure to traffic noise, the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease also increases. For every ten decibels of noise, the danger increases by one to four percent. This effect starts well below the guideline value of 52 decibels set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The mortality rate for road and railway noise increases from 35 and 30 decibels respectively. Up to 99 decibels were repeatedly measured in Zurich traffic.

British researchers observed a link between traffic noise and obesity. And remember: your hearing may also be damaged.

Silence as an antidote

The antidote is immediately found: silence. When taken in pleasant amounts, it gives us a feeling of happiness because serotonin, endorphins and other messenger substances are secreted. It is not the duration of the silent phase that is important, but its quality. Italian scientist Luciano Bernardi, among others, discovered this by chance. He conducted a study on the effects of music.

He noticed that volunteers relaxed much more during the two minutes of silence between pieces than during the soft sounds of music. Among other things, blood pressure and pulse dropped; The short-term absence of noise was good for the heart.

German environmental psychologist Rainer Guski comes to the same conclusion: “Regular retreat to a quiet room, even for just one hour a week, will probably be good for your health.” It’s important that you can get there without too much effort: “If we have to go somewhere to enjoy peace and quiet, the return journey alone can disturb our peace of mind.”

Swimming may help to a limited extent

If you want to take a more exotic approach, you can try swimming. For a healthy person, one to two hours a week not only reduces stress, but also improves sleep and can even relieve pain. Research in America and Europe shows this. Muscles, joints and tendons relax and relax, and the nervous system also rests.

But swimming is not good for everyone. People with post-traumatic stress disorder, low blood pressure and epilepsy should discuss possible risks with their family doctor in advance. And: Total silence can also be uncomfortable. After a few minutes you can only hear your own blood rushing to your ears. “This brings some people back to normal background noise,” says environmental psychologist Guski.

We need rest periods

That’s why researchers distinguish between silence and silence: silence is the absence of almost all sounds, while silence is the absence of disturbing sounds. “I think we don’t necessarily need silence, but we do need rest,” Guski explains.

Such periods of calm can be activated through meditation. Numerous studies show that meditation reduces both blood pressure and heart rate, releases fewer stress hormones, and reduces inflammatory processes that can lead to cardiovascular disease, among other things. Silent meditation is particularly convenient: it takes place without speech or background music; The meditator is not given any instructions.

Many people turn to meditation apps because they don’t have time for group meditation. There are hundreds of them now. They offer guided meditations for a better mood, SOS meditations for daily emergencies, and meditations for kids.

Meditation requires experience

But experts like Harvard Medical School neuroscientist Sara Lazar say many need personal guidance. «A meditation app could be a good addition for experienced practitioners. “Apps cannot replace a teacher if someone has little experience with meditation,” she says.

This is especially true of silent meditation. Because it draws attention inward, to one’s own emotions and memories, but also to what is repressed and potentially painful. Psychologists, such as Ruedi Eggerschwiler’s practice in Goldau SZ, also use them in individual counselling. “Meditation is good for most people, but it can also be psychologically destabilizing in some cases,” she explains.

For example, in the case of traumatic experiences or mental illnesses. Such people should check with experts beforehand whether silent meditation outside of therapy is recommended for them or whether other forms of meditation are better.

Quiet weekends, quiet holidays

If you want more, you can have a quiet weekend. There are a lot of offers now. It aims to offer participants a gentle environment where they can calm down and gather themselves.

Or you can book a quiet holiday now. Finland, for example, offers quiet holidays in the Arctic regions. The initial aim was to protect Arctic wildlife from noise pollution. However, silence is also good for people.