Sounds of Silence
I have a 20-minute commute most days.? I’m lucky because traffic is typically light, and my drive time is rarely prolonged.?
I’ve been doing something different on my commute lately.? Instead of first reaching for the radio and flipping stations or streaming music or a podcast, I’ve been turning it off. For the whole ride.?
I’ve been a driver for 25 years.? I’ve always had music or some other noise playing in the car- often at decibel levels that are not kind to my cochlear hair cells.? I love music; from Beethoven to The Beatles, Metallica to Mozart, my days are filled with music externally or just internally in my brain.? I can’t say why exactly I started opting for silence during my commute, but I’ve found it to be beneficial to my mental state.
The silence, while strange at first, has grown on me and allows me to prepare for the day ahead or decompress as I put the workday behind me. The sound of the tires on the road and the continual displacement of the air around my car have become a soothing soundtrack as I let my mind wander.
This newfound pocket of silence has helped me feel reenergized upon reaching my destination- especially at the end of the day.? I find myself ready to be present and engage fully with my wife and sons right when I walk in the door.
Who knows if I’ll continue this trend, but I’m happy with the benefits it’s been giving me.?
What is your aural preference for your commute?? Drop it in the comments!
Optometrist, Researcher and Scientific Communicator
1 年Have you heard of Silent Walking? Apparently this is a new trend. It follows the same rules; no devices when going for a walk. Science compares silent walking to "mindfulness." Hence the increased clarity and inreased ability of being in the moment (similar effects you've observed). Interesting stuff out there! I'm sure you can draw some parallels between silent walking and driving :) Good read, as usual. P.S. Where do you get your thumbnail images? They are very cool ??.