“Silence is golden.” Leaders throughout history have sought quiet for insight—what Emily Dickinson called “an appetite for silence.” Intentional time without sound helps us manage stress, transition between roles, and restore focus.

Sound, when used intentionally, can also be a powerful play tool. Music can fuel productivity and connection, while unwanted noise often does the opposite. In fact, the word noise comes from a Latin root meaning queasiness or pain.

Research has consistently linked chronic noise exposure to elevated stress hormones. Mid-20th-century epidemiologists first hypothesized connections between high blood pressure and noisy environments near highways and airports. Later studies tied persistent noise to sleep loss, heart disease, and tinnitus, giving rise to the term noise pollution—a reframing of urban sound as toxic due to its long-term effects.

Why Silence Restores Us

More recent research highlights silence as a powerful physiological reset. Quiet activates the parasympathetic nervous system, supporting digestion, cell repair, and deep relaxation.

In a 2006 study on music and physiology, physician Luciano Bernardi discovered that short periods of silence between musical tones led to greater reductions in blood pressure and brain activity than the “relaxing” music itself. Remarkably, two-minute silent pauses were more restorative than longer periods of silence before the experiment began. 

In today’s “always on” work culture, this insight is especially relevant. When we’re stressed, we tend to push harder. But like athletes, humans at work need recovery. Silence and solitude function as active rest, putting the body into a rejuvenation state so we can return with greater clarity and energy.

Our culture’s productivity addiction is reinforced by dopamine hits from constant notifications. Silence helps counter this by grounding us in the present moment, allowing us to integrate experiences rather than rush past them.

Neuroscience supports this. A 2013 study in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that quiet rest allows the brain to integrate internal and external information into a “conscious workspace.” Though it may look unproductive, silence supports reflection, organization, creativity, and better decision-making.

Research-backed benefits of silence include:

• Improved attention span (up to 20%)

• Greater awareness of thoughts and motivations

• Increased imagination and positive emotion

• Enhanced cortical folding, supporting memory and learning

The Importance of Music

Just as silence restores, music energizes. When chosen intentionally, music boosts focus, mood, productivity, and connection.

At home, music supports emotional regulation, movement, and intimacy. A large-scale study by Sonos, Apple Music, and neuroscientist Daniel Levitin found that when music played in households:

• People spent more time together

• Laughter, cooking together, and social connection increased

• Positive emotions rose significantly

At work, self-selected music improves efficiency, energy, and mood. Music stimulates dopamine release, widening attention and supporting more thoughtful decision-making. As one researcher noted, a positive mood expands the range of options we’re able to consider.

Music and silence are increasingly being used together as tools to regulate energy and foster connection in families and teams.

Practical Tips for Professionals

Use silence intentionally

• Schedule two 5-minute silent pauses daily.

• Let go of goals and plans; return attention to your breath.

• Practice at the same time and place each day:
  • Morning: at your desk or in a conference room

  • Evening: in your car before driving home or in your driveway

Use music as a transition

• Build playlists for commuting to shift energy and focus.

• Use mellow, instrumental music at home to support relaxation and presence.

• Play upbeat music while doing chores to encourage movement and flow.

• Before meetings, listen to songs you love to sing to warm up your voice and confidence.

Silence helps us integrate and restore. Music energizes and connects us. When used together, they become powerful tools for fueling productivity, creativity, and meaningful relationships—at work and beyond.