Noise Pollution Effects: How to Reduce Negative Health Impacts of Loud Sounds Caused By Phones and Tablets

The world has become louder.  As if the sound of honking cars and house renovation were not enough that we are now increasingly battered by an endless stream of emails and social media updates on our devices which is creating record levels of noise.  The non-stop cacophony of auditory and mental stimulation can trigger the fight-or-flight response that can potentially damage the brain, heart, and inner-ear tissue. According to WHO, noise pollution is causing health problems in every one in five people.  Here's how you can beat the loud impact from the digital smog.

Zen Out and Sit in Silence

Meditation can be a great way to deal with noise pollution. Sitting down with your eyes closed for just a few minutes can help you instantly calm down and de-stress. When you meditate you feel less distracted and hence, you do not feel the need to rush to your phone every time it pings. Meditation shifts brain activity from the emotional areas to the thinking areas of the brain. So zen out for a few minutes every day to cut away from the mental noise and emotional stress.

Read Books

Most of us have developed this habit of bingeing on Netflix before going to sleep. It's sad how the focus from books has suddenly shifted to the boisterous smartphone and the laptop. Cultivate your reading habit as it can help quiet your mind and cope with noise stress. Silence has become a hot commodity and you will surely find your peace in books. Here are the greatest English books ever written, how many have you read?

Trim the Time Spent On Phone

The constant inflow of information can not only lower your concentration but also impede decision making. Therefore, a few hours of digital detox can make you more productive. While going offline can be next to impossible, you can always cut off from your phone a few hours in a day. If you're always engaging with news coming at you, you can't possibly have the space to reflect on what's going on in your own life. So leave your phone on your desk and go out for a walk in the garden a few times a day.

Turn Off Your Push Notifications

Another great way to prevent getting distracted from the pings on your phone is to be choosy with the news you consume. According to statistics, an average person looks at the phone between 47 and 86 times a day and many of those times presumably in response to one of the more than 7 trillion push notifications. So turning off your push notifications can go a long way in keeping your brain fresh and preventing information fatigue. Also, instead of skimming multiple news sites, just stick to your favourite ones.

Lower the Volume

Music have gotten progressively louder in the last few years. Most of us listen to personal audio devices at unsafe levels, risking permanent hearing loss. Instead of cranking up the volume, keep the volume no more than 60 percent of your phone’s or your player’s maximum and do it no more than 60 minutes. Here's everything you need to know about wireless headset safety. 

Lastly, up your fluid intake and drink at least ten glasses of water daily. Drinking water can not only keep you hydrated but also boost your attention span and help your brain wade through the clutter. Drinking black tea has been shown to help sippers pay attention and perform tasks better.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 16, 2019 05:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).