Everybody on mute! Maybe it’s time for you to take a speaking sabbatical.
Sometimes, you might have the urge to simply not speak for a while or maybe a few days, and you’re not alone. Speech fasting, also known as vocal rest or voice fasting, is intentionally not speaking for some time. You probably are participating in the trend but aren’t aware of it, especially if you live alone and work remotely.
A TikTok trend has discovered people deciding not to talk until noon, and while it might be challenging to do so, it’s proven to be helpful for your health. A 2021 study from the National Library of Medicine found the speech to be beneficial, as it reduced cortisol levels, a stress hormone. For the study, fifty-nine participants were exposed to one out of three sound conditions on average for 48 minutes while performing tasks requiring concentration.
They found that psychological stress measures were subjective noise annoyance, workload, and fatigue. Working while speaking was more annoying but less tiring than silence and noise. However, the participants who spoke also raised their cortisol levels compared to the silent ones. They found that working while speaking was more loading and caused more physiological stress than other sound conditions.
Speech fasting can be beneficial for several reasons, including:
Vocal health: Not speaking often can preserve your vocal cords, as speech fasting can help prevent strain and fatigue and improve overall vocal quality. It can be helpful for people who use their voice professionally, like singers, public speakers, and orators.
Stress reduction: Not speaking significantly reduces stress (cortisol hormone) production. Less stress promotes relaxation, better sleep, and improved work productivity.
Mindfulness: Speech fasting can help with self-awareness, mindfulness, introspection, and communication skills. The practice can help you become calmer because you aren’t scrambling to find words to address anyone; you can be more in tune with yourself.
Spiritual connection: If you’re a spiritual person, you might find this practice helpful to adopt into your daily routine. Speech fasting is prevalent in various religions and spiritual practices and can be a good way to center yourself in whoever you believe in before you begin speaking.