5 Surprising Ways Writers Benefit from Periods of Silence

There’s a lot of noise in our world today.

Also called “noise pollution,” excessive noise has been linked to stress-related illnesses, high blood pressure, hearing loss, sleep disruption, and lost productivity.

Writers may want to add “trouble concentrating” and “difficulty accessing the imagination” to that list.

Silence, on the other hand, is not only healing but vital to our brains. Here’s why, and how you can incorporate periods of silence more frequently into your writing life.

Noise Pollution is Hurting Our Health

In a 2019 article published in The New Yorker, author David Owen asked if noise pollution might be our next public health crisis.

Of course, that was before COVID-19. But the question is still relevant, considering how much noise we’re all exposed to in today’s world.

According to researchers Goins and Hagler, writing in the Southern Medical Journal, noise pollution is “more severe and widespread than ever before, and it will continue to increase in magnitude and severity because of population growth, urbanization, and the associated growth in the use of increasingly powerful and highly mobile sources of noise.”

The damages, unfortunately, go beyond hearing loss. Studies have found that people who live or work in loud environments are more at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, low birth weight, sleep deficiency, and more.

In a 2014 study, researchers estimated that 104 million Americans were at risk of noise-induced hearing loss and that tens of millions more may be at risk of heart disease and other noise-related health effects. The World Health Organization (WHO) had previously reported that the health impacts of environmental noise “are a growing concern.”

Several scientific studies have been published on the topic. In one published in 2013, participants listened to recordings containing varying amounts of aircraft noise while they slept at home. Results showed that participants slept worse on the night they heard the most noise. Lab studies conducted the next morning also showed they had more vascular damage, inflammation, and higher levels of stress hormones than when listening to lower levels of noise.

Noise pollution may lead to anxiety and depression, as well. Even small increases in unwanted sound can have negative effects. In 2011, researchers studying people living near airports found that just a 10-decibel increase in aircraft noise was associated with a 28 percent increase in anxiety medication use. Another study found that people living in areas with more road traffic noise were 25 percent more likely than those living in quiet neighborhoods to have symptoms of depression.

The evidence continues to accumulate, and it’s not good. While government regulators strive to establish rules that will bring the overall noise level down, we creative types have one solution—coveting silence.

The Healing Power of Silence

Growing up, I lived on a 10-acre ranch that butted up against miles of government lands.

One day I took my horse out exploring and discovered a dirt road that led out to a broad desert valley. I didn’t have enough time to explore it that day, so I returned at a later date to do so.

Once I made it down the hill and across that wide, empty space, I was rewarded by the most delicious silence I had ever experienced. I got off my horse and listened. My horse listened, too, holding completely still. Neither one of us could hear anything.

We were far enough from civilization to be free of all people noises, and in a desert-like environment, the animal noises were few and far between. The silence settled over me like a blanket. It was one of the most comforting and awe-inspiring experiences I’ve ever had.

Years later, I chose to buy the house I now live in largely because it’s in a peaceful, sparsely populated area with only the occasional vehicle driving by or airplane flying overhead. I find it critical to my work as a writer to have the silence and feel compassion for those authors forced to work in noisy environments.

Science backs up what I’ve long suspected about silence—it’s good for us. Studies show it can stimulate new cell growth in the brain, improve memory, and release tension in the brain and body.

Silence is so effective that a study published in the scientific journal Heart found that two minutes of silence was more effective in relieving physical tension that listening to relaxing music. A later study found that spending a few minutes in silent meditation reduced insomnia and fatigue in older adults.

Scientists believe when you create an environment with low levels of sensory input, the brain is allowed to recover some of its cognitive abilities. Unfortunately in today’s technology-driven world, our brains have to be constantly “on.” This puts excess stress and strain on the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain that makes decisions and solves problems. Spending time in silence allows the brain to switch “off” and release this constant focus.

According to a 2013 study published in the journal Brain, Structure and Function, when subjects were exposed to two hours of silence per day, they developed new cells in the hippocampus—the region associated with memory, emotion, and learning. In other words, silence may help grow your brain.

5 Ways Writers Benefit from Periods of Silence

Silence is powerful, particularly for writers, as it helps us to achieve the calm, relaxed sort of meditative state we need to drop down into our story worlds.

1. Silence Helps Boost Creativity

We all have “background noise” going on in the brain. This is where the brain absorbs, reflects on, and makes conclusions based on our experiences, and where it processes what it’s absorbed to come up with new ideas.

When we’re exposed to noise and a general influx of sensory information, this background noise is drowned out. The brain is forced to pay attention to the noise and other things going on, making it more difficult for it to come up with anything creative.

Silence allows the brain to switch to its “default” mode, which involves daydreaming, meditating, fantasizing, imagining, and letting our thoughts wander—all activities a writer covets. In silence, we can think about things in an imaginative way, making connections and assimilating thoughts and images into new patterns.

The author Herman Melville had it right when he wrote, “All profound things and emotions of things are preceded and attended by silence.”

2. Silence Reduces Stress

Many writers feel stressed now and then, particularly when launching a book or trying to overcome a sticky plot point. Periods of silence can help reduce that stress and benefit our overall health.

Noise pollution leads to stress and related health problems because it elevates stress hormones in our bodies. The sound waves come into our ears as electrical signals, and the body reacts to those signals even if we’re asleep. That means if you’re constantly exposed to high levels of noise pollution, you may be experiencing chronic stress, which is linked with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

“The fundamental purposes of hearing are to alert and to warn,” write researchers Chestman and Walters. “As a result sound directly evokes emotions and actions.” They go on to explain that the body often translates sound into action, sometimes inducing changes through the “fight or flight” stress response.

Silence, on the other hand, helps relieve stress, allowing the mind and body to relax and unwind.

3. Silence Restores Focus and Concentration

Studies have shown that noise pollution interferes with focus and concentration, and worse increases our tendency to make mistakes. The cognitive functions most strongly affected by noise are reading attention, memory, and problem solving—all functions the working writer desperately needs.

In a way, noise requires the brain to consistently multitask. It has to pay attention to the noise, then pay attention to what you’re doing. Noise, task, noise, task. It’s constantly being interrupted, and interruptions are costly. Evidence shows it can take 20 minutes or more to recover your concentration once it’s been interrupted.

Silence gives the brain what it needs to focus on what you’re doing while allowing the brain a break from all that multi-tasking. Most writers prefer silence when creating their first drafts, as it allows them to dive deep into the imaginary worlds they’re creating.

4. Silence May Help Relieve Anxiety and Depression

Authors and creative people in general often struggle with anxiety and depression. Though there are many potential reasons why this may be, noise pollution can make the problem worse, stretching your already thin nerves to the breaking point.

Silence, once you adapt to it, feels safe, comforting, and warm. It puts no expectations on you and allows you to just be. It is, in essence, a form of meditation, which you may already know has shown in studies to be effective against anxiety and depression.

Allowing yourself to enjoy a few minutes of silence is a form of self-care, and can help you to feel more calm and capable of managing any problems you may face.

5. Silence Can Help You Sleep Better

Sleep deprivation is linked to a host of health issues, including stress, overweight and obesity, heart disease, cancer, and even premature death. A lack of sleep also reduces focus, attention, and productivity, and can leave your brain unable to properly create when it comes to your writing time.

Reducing your noise exposure can help you get a better night’s sleep. It’s not only the noise you’re exposed to at night that matters—though that’s a critical factor. It’s also the noise you’re exposed to throughout the day. Keeping both to a minimum or even blocking out noise altogether at times can be the key to improving your sleep habits.

How to Incorporate More Silence Into Your Writing Life

To enjoy more silence in your writing life, try these tips:

• Get up before anyone else and enjoy the early morning quiet, or wait and go to bed after everyone else has conked out.
• Take a walk in nature. Leave the headphones or earbuds behind.
• Turn everything off and spend 5-10 minutes (or longer) in a quiet room.
• Go somewhere you can curl up alone with a good book and read.
• Invest in a pair of noise-canceling headphones and use them frequently.
• Go for a drive and leave the radio off.
• Turn off the background noise. This may be coming from the television, radio, or phone. Leave it off for at least 15 minutes.
• If you have a church nearby, try to go and visit during the off-hours. Churches are some of the last refuges of silence we have in our society. (Most libraries have become noisy!) A museum may be another good option.
• If you have a float spa in your area, try it. It’s the ultimate form of sensory deprivation and has been linked with health benefits.
• Go on a silent retreat.
• Plan a “silent hour” with your family—a time when everyone agrees to stay silent for an hour or more. No television, no podcasts, no conversation.
• Allow yourself at least 5 minutes of silence before your writing session. Close your eyes and sink into your story. You are likely to write more easily.

How does noise pollution affect you?

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