While there are many ways to relax, one of the best remedies is to focus on how quiet time can help your body recoup and relax. Ahh…the sound of silence can be so sweet.

On any given day, if you stop and listen you can hear a myriad of sounds that seem to come from all directions. Sometimes we have the ability to drown out the noise, while on other days it becomes so intense we long for a moment of absolute silence. We become so used to the din that we often do not realize the effect it has on our psychological and physical wellbeing.

If you’ve ever been inside a public school, the noise can be deafening. You can’t wait to finish the business at hand and head out the door to a more peaceful setting. But in fact, there is just as much environmental noise that we have become accustomed to during the course of our lives.

Spending five to ten minutes alone in silence can make all the difference to how we feel. Although some people find sitting in complete silence difficult to do, as with anything else it is a learned experience.

Let’s try an experiment. Find a quiet room in your home, close the door, and choose a spot in the room where you can sit down in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and begin to breathe deeply. Focus on the breathing; listen to it. You may hear peripheral sounds coming from inside or outside the home. Instead of trying to block them out, just ignore them. As you continue to deep breathe, relax your body and begin to breathe naturally. The tension is slowly leaving your body. You are totally relaxed and feel rejuvenated. Congratulations! You have just spent ten minutes in silence. It wasn’t so hard, was it?

During the hustle and bustle of a busy day, we don’t realize how many times we have the opportunity to enjoy the sound of silence. The effects are immediate. The blood pressure returns to normal, the stress dissipates, the body loses all the tenseness associated with stress, and we enter a relaxed state.

There are other places where one can attain the same effect. Perhaps a walk in the park early on a Sunday morning or sitting under a shaded tree; or a morning cup of coffee on the patio or sitting on the beach watching the sun rise.

We may not be accustomed to entering a world of silence. But even if it’s for only a few minutes, the benefits derived are immeasurable. Give it a try; you may find the experience more pleasant that you’ve imagined.