Genially sin título

By Irene del Fresno Maroto

Emotional benefits

A record by the Royal British Legion featuring only silence is hoping to beat Take That to the number one spot this week. It reflects the immense power that - for many people - silence can wield, if only we stopped to listen.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CELEBRATE ?

DATE OF SILENCE 2019

It is the 7 of Mars .

Taking a break from difficulties at home, work or school is often best accomplished with a conscious choice to entertain silence. Without the distractions of tech devices, ringing phones, incoming messages, unexpected assignments or chores, or the demands of children, co-workers, family members and friends, it’s easier to calm the mind and restore balance.

INTRODUCTION

While some people dislike a silent environment, equating it with being alone and lonely, others look forward to spending time with just their thoughts, seeking silence with eagerness, as if anticipating a gift. Indeed, silence offers profound benefits, many of which we aren’t even aware of.

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PAPER

NEWS

Sound is a necessity in our day-to-day lives, but not noise. Noise is broadly an undesirable sound or sound which generates horrible discomfort on the ears. In the contemporary society, noise has become a permanent aspect owing to the daily activities such as transportation, industrial manufacturing, and technology. In contrast to the other types of pollution, noise pollution lacks the element of accumulation in the environment. It merely occurs when sounds waves of intense pressure reach the human ears and may even affect the body muscles due to sound vibrations. Even though noise pollution does not cause death, it can create a lot of discomforts.

CAUSES OF NOISE POLLUTION

According to these guidelines, annual average night exposure should not exceed 40 decibels (dB), corresponding to the sound from a quiet street in a residential area. Persons exposed to higher levels over the year can suffer mild health effects, such as sleep disturbance and insomnia.

LIMITS OF NOISE ARE RECOMMENDED BY OMS

The daily environment of an office must comply with elements that provide private spaces to employees. According to the Cambridge Sound Management through a study conducted in several organizations, reported that about 50% of workers in an office have annoyances related to privacy. The main reason for the discontent of this percentage is the lack of privacy they have in their work spaces when having a personal or work conversation.

Phone rings, printers working, colleagues holding conversations with a very loud voice, all this together with external noises are reasons why workers can reach a point of despair and irritation which causes an obvious reaction on their way to develop their daily tasks.

Probably one of the most dangerous consequences of noise pollution. Every day, many companies demand that their employees carry out tasks that require a high level of concentration. In an environment riddled with noise and distractions, it will be difficult to carry out these processes, because the mind of the person is more focused on avoiding and trying to ignore the sounds than on the job itself. This situation totally affects the result and the quality of the products that are delivered. On the other hand, when a person pays full attention and is 100% focused on a task, they develop it more easily and without any error.

With a group of irritated and stressed employees, it is almost a fact that the office environment is going to become extremely hostile and annoying. This situation directly affects the performance of the entire team. This is why it is necessary to implement areas where it is possible to have conversations or meetings with much more privacy, without disturbing the people who are around.

Generation of a hostile environment

Little privacy

Appearance of irritation, despair and stress

Lack of concentration

While there's isn't significant evidence in humans to suggest that lower-volume sound like background white noise could bring about these kinds of changes in the central auditory system, Attarha's team cite animal studies that suggest prolonged exposure in animals does affect their brains. "A rapidly growing body of literature, largely conducted in animal models within the last decade, has now established that long-term exposure to nontraumatic noise … is capable of inducing maladaptive plastic reorganisation of the central auditory nervous system in ways that bear striking phenomenological overlap with the persistent, widespread disinhibition of the auditory system thought to underlie tinnitus in humans," the authors write in their paper. "Notably, these changes have been observed following exposure to noise levels in the 60 to 70 dB sound pressure level range, typical of commercially available noise generators and considered 'safe' by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration."

According to the researchers, the putative neural effects on the central auditory system are numerous, but include a reduction in neural inhibition (the ability to filter unimportant information), a lengthening of the amount of time it takes for the brain to process changing signals, and less precise cortical representations (how information is represented in the brain). It's far too early to conclude that the unstructured sound of white noise – a random combination of different frequencies – is having the same effects on people. And it's also worth noting that two of the researchers have positions at Posit Science Corporation – developing commercial technology they say can have beneficial effects on cognitive processes, which is a disclosure to bear in mind in light of the ideas they're putting forward.

EFFECTS OF NOISE IN YOUR BRAIN

These devices emit a sound like the buzz of old-fashioned TV static, which can mask things like disruptive background noises and the ringing, high-pitched whine caused by tinnitus. But according to a new study, that's not all white noise might be doing to your brain. "In the past 50 years, brain scientists have learned a great deal about brain plasticity - how sensory and other inputs change the brain chemically, structurally, and functionally," explains cognitive scientist Mouna Attarha, formerly a PhD student at the University of Iowa, and now a researcher at Posit Science Corporation, which makes brain training software. "Increasing evidence shows that the brain rewires in a negative manner when it is fed random information, such as white noise."

In a new review article, Attarha and researchers from the University of California, San Francisco suggest that the background buzz of white noise – which some advocate as a means of lessening the perceived symptoms of tinnitus – could actually be harmful to our central auditory system. While the biological mechanisms behind tinnitus aren't fully understood, scientists are continually finding evidence that the symptoms are tied to measurable changes in various parts of the brain that go beyond simple hearing loss – although tinnitus, especially when it first appears, is often associated with exposure to loud, traumatic noises that damage the eardrum and hearing.

5 Ways to Reduce Noise Pollution

Computers, game systems, televisions and the like all make noise when they’re not in use—whether it’s a fan spinning or that high-pitched, barely-audible screech some TVs make in standby. Over time, all of these sounds cause stress on the ears. Turn them off when you are not using them. A little extra effort is worth it; as a bonus, you’ll save some money on electricity.

1. Turn off your electronics.

2. Sound proof your space.

There are a lot of things you can do to reduce the sound at home (or perhaps your workplace). If you have hard floors, rugs will go a long way in the fight to dampen sound. Windows are a known weak point in many structures. Installing better windows, sealing window frames, or hanging curtains (even thin ones) will help reduce the sound coming from outside. If you have noisy neighbors on one side of you, put furniture or a big bookshelf (preferably full of books) against that wall. If you have laundry machines in a separate room, shut the door. Also try running appliances like dishwashers and bread machines when you’re getting ready to leave the house for a bit. When you’re gone they can make as much noise as they want.

3. Mask or cancel noise.

Several options are available for you here. Some people like to create peaceful sounds around them. You can do this by hanging wind chimes, turning on a fan, or running a small water feature. It may seem paradoxical because you’re creating more noise, however these things help mask the more unpleasant sounds that may otherwise bother you. People who really need help tuning sounds out could opt for a white noise machine. White noise consists of sounds of all audible frequencies (the same way white light is a combination of all visible wavelengths). White noise is able to effectively mask most outside sounds. Many people who use such machines frequently report ‘not hearing anything at all’ including the noise machine. “Noise canceling” devices are also available. These devices use a microphone to intercept incoming sounds. Then they send out “anti-noise” signals to cancel the noise. Noise canceling headphones or smartphone apps are among the cheaper noise canceling options. Hearing aid type devices are also available, but are much more expensive

4. Earplugs.

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective. If nighttime noise keeps you awake, earplugs could be your ticket to sweet slumber. Just make sure you set your alarm loud enough. Earplugs can also be great if you are going to a noisy event or concert. They don’t block out all the noise; rather, they bring sounds down to a manageable level.

This one sounds drastic, but it may be worth it. Sometimes barrier walls and thick curtains can only do so much (and we’re not about to line our walls with egg carton foam). While moving outside the city (or perhaps suburbs) will reduce your sound levels greatly, it is not possible for everyone. However, be aware that sound levels can vary quite a bit even within a city. You may not have to move very far to experience a significant drop in noise. Choosing a home away from aircraft paths, trains, highways, or industrial districts is your best bet. Several cities (such as San Francisco) have even published noise maps showing which streets and areas are the loudest.

5. Move.

BY IRENE DEL FRESNO MAROTO 3 ESO A