Are You Drowning in Noise? → A More Beautiful Life Collective

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Drowning in Noise

One of the worst feelings in the world is when we are trying to focus on something but distracting noise and unrelenting thoughts get in the way.

I can remember one day practicing for a song that I was going to play with a worship band. We were all on stage, but everyone was doing their own thing. Between the banging of the drums, the thud thud thud of the bass, and the off-key tuning of the guitar, the noise level in the room had got to a fever pitch. On top of all of this, several people had just come in laughing and yelling, with kids running to and fro before service began.

At that point, I snapped and said loudly, “Would everyone be quiet? We just need to practice!” (I know, yelling at everyone gets people in the mood to worship.) At that point, one of my friends looked at me and said, “Hey, are you okay? You seem a little… tense.” And the truth is, I was.

Noise can do that.

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What is Noise Pollution?

We hear a lot about light pollution and – with the recent wildfires – air pollution. We recognize the need to have a clean, pure environment because that leads to healthy, pure lives. One area of our lives that we have forgotten to pay attention to is the effect of noise on our environment. The EPA states, “Noise pollution adversely affects the lives of millions of people. Studies have shown that there are direct links between noise and health. Problems related to noise include stress-related illnesses, high blood pressure, speech interference, hearing loss, sleep disruption, and lost productivity.” Everything from the dull whirr of the machines in our house, to the roar of the highway outside, to the constant murmur of the TV in the background adds to the sound level in our lives. An article on noise pollution by the Washington Post goes on, “What we’re doing to our soundscape is littering it. It’s aural litter—acoustical litter—and, if you could see what you hear, it would look like piles and piles of McDonald’s wrappers, just thrown out the window as we go driving down the road.”

We can’t run a purifier to create a more healthy noise environment. Instead, we have to ruthlessly cut down on the noises that we have around us. This is almost counter-cultural. We can’t rely on a machine to do the purifying process. We have to do that process ourselves. We have to curate our environment for the best noise. We can’t get rid of all noise, and we don’t want to. We all know the positive effects certain types of music have on our health. But did you know that bird songs can be just as beneficial? In an article by the Washington Post, people who listened to birdsong, even if it was just a recording, noted a reduction in symptoms of depression. Those who listened to the noise of traffic had their symptoms heightened. The article describes “the “healing aspects of nature, or also the not-so-positive effects of urban surroundings.” It even goes on to discuss how time in nature “may allow us to engage in “soft fascination,” which holds our attention but also allows it to replenish.” This may even allow us to regain attention, an idea is known as “attention restoration theory.” Studies have shown that even walking in nature helps us decrease depressive tendencies, mostly because it allows us to ‘get out of our heads’ – or as it’s described in the study, it “reduce[s] rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation”.

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Ways to Overcome Noise Pollution

Noise pollution is a problem, but how do we deal with it? You can start by following the steps below.

Assess what noises are dominating your life now.

Just take a moment to assess your environment right now. What noises do you hear? This is the quiet naptime part of the day. I hear the whoosh of the A/C and the quiet voice of my son ‘reading’ his book in his room before he goes to bed. There are occasionally noises from the highway when a semi passes through. Not all my moments are this quiet though. It’s important to understand when we are adding noise to our life to drown out our thoughts. When we do that, we don’t succeed in making any situation in our life easier to deal with. We are only heightening the stress that our body is under.

You can stop and jot down what you are hearing in your favorite journal. I like to use this one, a traveler’s notebook that includes refillable notebooks you can switch in and out. You can also use this journal which has nice sturdy pages to write on.

Seek to have ‘quiet times’ as your brain breaks throughout your day.

One of the common classroom practices is to have brain breaks or movement breaks. If students are sitting for too long, they start to get a little antsy. Adding in a 1-2 minute break where they can dance, jump, or just talk helps get the jitters out. We need similar breaks for our minds when it comes to noise. Whether that’s a moment in your car before entering a loud house or a moment in the morning over a cup of coffee before the kids wake up, add in silence throughout the day. You can use these noise cancelling headphones to help create a silent space if you are in a busy house and can’t get away.

Start to incorporate ‘positive’ noises in your life.

If you find that you are constantly hearing a noise that makes you stressed, think about how you could incorporate positive ‘noise’ in your life. If you are at home, do you need to make time to get outside to listen to nature and maybe even a little birdsong? Or maybe if you are stuck inside a classroom or office. Can you turn on some of your favorite music to listen in the background? If you have a habit of letting the news or TV constantly run in the background, can you switch that out for something that brings peace instead of stress? An Amazon Alexa is a great choice (this one is currently on sale here!) for a smart speaker that can bring in your favorite tunes. I recently got this affordable wireless speaker which has a great sound and is waterproof to bring outside.

What we listen to matters because it frequently determines our attitude, even if that happens subconsciously. It’s difficult to curate our environment to be more peaceful, but it is worth it. How can you begin to cut through the negative noise to allow beauty into your life?

If you are looking for some recommendations of things to listen to, check out our podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Listen here:

S1E40 – What is Theology Proper?: 3 Questions to Help You Know God Better – A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast

We have to start our study of theology by looking at Theology Proper. This is the study of who God is, what God is like, and what God’s nature is. As we look at theology proper, we are focusing primarily on how knowing God more leads to (1) worship and (2) a deeper love. Our study of God should inspire us to know and love God more and more. This podcast will dive into 3 questions that will help you to know God better to start your study of Theology Proper. The Deuteronomy 34 passage is actually EXODUS* 34:5-7. Sorry! View the full post here. Get the Doctrine and Theology Cheat Sheet Here. Get a list of the names of God here. Get a copy of our personal statement of faith creation guide here. Get “Building Our Foundations: 10 Week Study” here. . Visit our Shop to get a copy of any of the resources mentioned in this episode: Read the full post here. I’m your host, Cayce Fletcher, and you can learn a little bit more about me here. While you’re here, would you consider leaving a comment, rating, or review? You can find our podcast, A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube. Subscribe to the blog for access to our latest content and some freebies. I love creating and sharing resources with you. You can find all of our resources at A More Beautiful Life Collective Shop. Keep creating a life you love, and cultivating your heart for God.

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