This essay, by Gayatri Srivastava, 16, a student at the Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai, India, is one of the Top 10 winners of The Learning Network’s “How To” Informational Writing Contest.
How to Find Silence in a Noisy World
“Silence isn’t the absence of noise,” says Suraj Mehta, a railway guard at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. “It’s something you carry within you, even as the world rushes past.” Amid the relentless commotion, Mehta has mastered the art of finding quiet. For 23 years, the heavy clang of metal on tracks and the rhythmic rush of thousands of hurried footsteps have composed the constant soundtrack he hears everyday. “If you wait for the world to quiet down — you’ll never hear silence at all. You must create it within yourself.”
Find stillness within before searching for it elsewhere. It’s about space — space between thoughts, between breaths, between the day’s first rays of light and its demands. Silence exists in these in-between moments, waiting to be discovered. To embrace it, begin with your breath. Inhale deeply, feeling the air expand inside you. Exhale slowly, letting the week’s stress dissolve with it. Relax every muscle in your body, from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. “Before the rush begins, I stand on the platform at dawn and listen to the quiet hum of the tracks,” Mehta says. It’s important to take those minutes for yourself, where it’s just you and the gentle stir of thoughts in your mind.
In a world that demands constant attention, it is easy to forget that silence is a choice. “Noise isn’t just what you hear,” Mehta reflects. “It’s everything that pulls you away from yourself.” Once you’ve found that internal quiet, protect it. Resist the impulse to check, scroll and respond to every buzz. Turn off the notifications on your devices and indulge in digital silence, allowing your mind to breathe free from constant distraction.
“Learn to recognize the quiet moments hidden in plain sight,” advises Mehta. These “pockets” of silence may not last long, but they do exist. The early morning hush before the city wakes up, or the quiet stillness before a curtain rises; train yourself to notice these fleeting interludes. “Sometimes, silence may be something you step into.” A quiet park at sunset, an empty library aisle or a secluded garden bench can offer a moment of stillness.
Perhaps the world will never settle; but if you learn to step back from the noise and let it fade into the background — you’ll realize that silence has been there all along, waiting for you to listen.