My Apologies to AC/DC

…but Rock “˜N’ Roll IS noise pollution.  Albeit the best kind!

My exhaust fan in my bathroom has been on the frits for about a year.  Screeching, grinding, rumbling.  It sounded awful.  And then, about a week ago, it died.  I’ve yet to fix it, so I’ve gone without an exhaust fan for now.  Then the other day as I stepped out of the shower I heard the AC turn off.  And then there was silence.  No fan, no AC blowing out the vents, nothing.  So much silence that it stopped me.  I couldn’t remember the last time I heard silence.  I listened carefully, as if there should be a noise somewhere going.  The only noise was a faint hum of the light bulbs.  It was calming and relaxing.  Again something I hadn’t experienced in a while!  I stopped and thought about it and I couldn’t remember the last time I experienced silence.  From waking up to an alarm to working in a loud gym and teaching classes at my studio and having a radio or tv running in the background when at home, there is no silence.

When we think about our health we think about what we eat and how we exercise, if we exercise.  Noise, however, we tend to overlook.  Can noise really affect your health?  It can.  In particular, loud, sudden or constant noises.  The largest issue, an increase in stress and increased blood pressure.  It can also affect our cognitive functions.  Trouble concentrating, and memory problems.  It’s even suggested that children who grow up in loud households may have issues with their long term memory and reading comprehension.

With that said, keep in mind that noise isn’t all bad.  Noise can also boost your health as well.  The right kind of music at the right time can boost your alertness and mood for example.  We can’t remove all unwanted noise from our lives, some stuff we just have to deal with, but what I’m suggesting is take a moment of silence each day.  Allow your mind to rest and calm itself or reflect on the day’s happenings and sort things out.  You don’t have to be a recluse monk to find some calmness and tranquility in your life!