Have there ever been moments when you’ve wanted to turn everything—including yourself—to silence? Your search may be over if you engage in speech fasting, which is the deliberate practice of not speaking for a predetermined amount of time.
Investigating the possible advantages of this traditional practice for your physical and mental health, Dr. Shaunak Ajinkya, Consultant-Psychiatrist, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai mentioned some tips to Indian Express.
Merits of speech fasting
Decreased Stress and Vocal Strain: Speech fasting gives your vocal chords a break, which relieves tension and weariness. This is especially advantageous for people whose voices are heavily used in their line of work.
Improved Mindfulness and Communication: Speech fasting can help people become more introspective and self-aware by calming down the outside noise. You may notice that you are listening to people more intently, which will enhance your communication abilities in general.
Improve Spiritual Connection: In many faiths and spiritual traditions, such as Buddhism, speech fasting is significant as a means of establishing a connection with one’s inner self or a higher power.
Bodily Changes
Social withdrawal or isolation can exacerbate symptoms for those with disorders such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder.
Physical Unwinding: Your throat muscles, facial muscles, and vocal cords all get a much-needed break. Naturally, breathing gets deeper, which encourages relaxation and may even lower heart rate and blood pressure.
Cognitive Clarity: Your mind may feel sharper and more concentrated when there are less outside distractions. Additionally, you may learn to recognize nonverbal clues in others as well as in yourself. Your feeling of achievement might also be increased by finishing a speech fasting day.
Who should avoid adopting this method?
Vocal Cord Disorders or Respiratory Challenges: For people who already have respiratory or vocal cord issues, speech fasting may exacerbate symptoms.
Mental Health Problems: Social withdrawal or isolation can exacerbate the symptoms of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder.
