The Need for Silence in a Noisy WorldWritten by Mike Moore
The Need for Silence in a Noisy World By Mike MooreIt is quite evident that we are living in one terribly noisy world and it seems to be getting worse every day. Everywhere we go we are accosted by loud, unwanted sound. When we enter elevators, malls and restaurants we are engulfed by musak. I recently had lunch at a popular restaurant and found background music so loud that it interfered with normal conversation and enjoyment of my lunch. When I asked waitress if she could turn music off, or at least down, she said, " I don't think we can." Surely we as a people are still in charge of volume controls. When you add lawnmowers, snow blowers, leaf blowers, jack hammers, jet engines, transport trucks, and horns and buzzers of all types and descriptions you have a wall of constant noise and irritation. Even when watching a television program at a reasonable volume level you are blown out of your chair when a commercial comes on at decibel level of a jet. We seem to have created a cultural acceptance of our noisy world in spite of fact that it is making us ill physically and psychologically. We can't seem to live without background sound. We have friends who turn on television moment they awaken in morning and leave it on all day. The house is just too quiet if it isn't on. Former highschool students of mine used to tell me that first thing they did on arriving home after school was turn on their CD player as loudly as would be tolerated by their parents. Cornell University recently conducted a study to determine impact of noise on employees in an open area office space where people are constantly exposed to fax machines, telephones, office chatter, shredding machines, etc. Test results revealed that workers in an open area had high levels of adrenalin in their urine. Adrenalin is released by body when under stress. It prepares us for fight or flight. When these employees were compared to those in self contained office spaces results were startling. People in a quiet, self contained work area did not have same high levels of adrenalin in their urine. They were much more relaxed and less stressed. A puzzle, demanding attention and concentration, was given to both groups of employees. The open area group was found to be less diligent in solution of puzzle becoming easily frustrated and giving up much earlier than group from quiet office. The study also found that workers from quiet office slept better at night, had better digestion, were much less irritable at home and felt better at end of their workday than employees from open concept office. Noise does seem to effect focus, productivity and general physical and psychological well being. Noise tends to increase stress levels which in turn can result in increased frustration, anger and strained interpersonal relationships. We must begin to establish a friendship with silence.
| | Holistic Aromatherapy for Children, Part 2 Written by Francoise Rapp
(c) Francoise Rapp, 2001. Permission is granted to reproduce this article in your print or electronic publications, providing you use article in its entirety, including brief bio trailer, all links and references within. Please let me know if you use this article by email to content@aromalchemy.com.Holistic Aromatherapy for Children, Part 2 (To review Part 1 of this series, visit http://www.aromalchemy.com/education/issue62.html) Aromatherapy is an enjoyable and beneficial alternative therapy for our young ones. But aromatherapy heals more than just common childhood ailments. It also has a great impact on emotional and mental issues children face on a daily basis. Children have their own ways of dealing with stress and internal conflict. Some internalize their emotions and attempt to hide their thoughts and feelings. Others may become overly expressive or abnormally active. Many children simply don't know how to process their complex feelings. Unlike adults, children do not have skills and maturity to find healthy outlets for their emotions. Stresses in a child's family, school and social settings can contribute to any number of emotional issues, including guilt, loneliness, hyperactivity and neediness. Whatever situation your children may be facing, it is most important to emphasize communication, or share your concerns with a child therapist. I also encourage you to use one of aromatic blends below to safely enhance work of any therapy. In a 10ml bottle, pour essential oils and then add any organic vegetable oil to fill (jojoba, sweet almond, grapeseed, etc.) ******** Rejection Issues ******** -2 drops Marjoram -1 drop Rose Massage along spine, solar plexus and heart chakra. Pour a few drops of blend into your child's warm bath water and have him/her soak for at least 10 minutes. Pour a few drops in palm of your hands and have your child inhale deeply. ******** Guilt Issues ******** -2 drops Sandalwood -2 drops Orange -2 drops Lavender
|