If you’re like most people, you’re probably listening to some form of audio content during many hours of the day.
Music while you exercise.
Podcasts in the car.
Audio books while you’re making dinner.
Then you get on social media, where you take in more information, increasingly with audio.
On one hand, all this listening can be a great way to maximize your time to take in information and learn new subjects.
But this constant audio input comes at a cost of chronic stress and burnout.
You’ve likely heard or read about the detriments of too much screen time. But the negative impact isn’t limited to screens.
Too much audio input can also be harmful to your health.
How Audio Input Impacts Your Health
Your brain processes all sound as data that must be monitored. Constant input keeps the brain in a state of low-grade alert, releasing cortisol and adrenaline. It essentially puts your system into a state of vigilance. When you do this consistently without giving the brain enough time to rest, your system gets locked in this vigilance state.
This background stress is linked to increased inflammation, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular issues.
In addition, when you’re constantly intaking information, your brain remains in task mode, which prevents the Default Mode Network from activating.
The DMN is the part of the brain responsible for self-reflection, understanding your emotions, daydreaming, and creative problem-solving.
The DMN is critical to hearing your inner voice. But when you’re always listening to external voices, you don’t allow your inner voice to come online. As a result, you lose touch with how you feel and what you think.
Studies show that noise has a powerful physical effect on our brains and nervous systems. Noise increases stress, insomnia, anxiety, agitation, hypertension, and heart disease. Being chronically exposed to noise can cause stress hormones to rise, which decreases immunity.
Research shows that even just a couple of minutes of intentional silence can significantly reduce blood pressure and heart rate levels.
Silence helps relax the nervous system, reducing the physical symptoms of stress, such as muscle tension and rapid heartbeat.
Spending a few minutes in silence can help relax muscle tension caused by stress. In a calming environment, the nervous system shifts into a parasympathetic state — the “rest and digest” mode that creates physical relaxation.
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