Try not to hear anything. Seriously, give it a try. Try to hear absolutely nothing. Pure Silence. Not a single sound. It’s difficult, right? In fact, it’s so difficult that it’s nearly impossible.

A few days ago I was working hard at my computer editing videos for a client, then I heard the familiar churgling sounds in my stomach. It was time to take a break and eat lunch.

Normally I put one of my bluetooth earbuds into one ear and listen to a podcast or grab my iPad to watch a documentary while I prepare a meal. But this time, for whatever reason, I just walked into the kitchen and started making my lunch without grabbling any form of entertainment. Immediately I noticed sounds that I had muted for so long that I had almost forgotten them. The beep of the oven, the “thwang” of the pan, the “swoosh” of my socks across the hardwood floor, the crinkle of the cheese wrapper, the creak of the house and the list goes on. That’s when I realized that was the quietest it had been for me in a while. And then I realized that was the quietest it could get in my everyday life.

I tried for the next 10 minutes to be completely silent to see if it was possible to hear no sounds at all. I didn’t move. I heard a car go by the house. Then another. And another and another. The heater kicked off during its cycling process. The house creaked again. The hot baking sheet “thwanged” as it was cooling (good ol’ physics). Then I noticed my heartbeat. Then my breathing. My ears “crinkled” as I swallowed. This felt good. I may have failed in my experiment to find true silence by reducing all noises to zero. But I dialed down any external noises as much as I was able to control and found it to be pleasantly calming.

My mind started scrolling through memories of the many days and hours that I have spent in the mountains in Alaska. This little experiment reminded of one of the most greatest gifts that anyone can get in remote wilderness areas…..silence. Our modern world has lost nearly all of what would be considered true wilderness. By this I mean getting off the grid, so far away from roads, towns and cell phone towers that nobody can hear you tweet. The only sounds are naturally occurring ones. There’s nothing man-made creating any noise whatsoever.

I remember the first time I was dropped off in the Alaska wilderness. As the hum of the bush plane faded into the distance the first thing I noticed was the deafening lack of noise. It was honestly pretty unsettling at first. Up until that point my brain had never experienced that level of silence. I realized how vulnerable I was. But then I quickly felt a wave of relief crashing over me. I never knew how noisy my life had been.

Now fast forward 13 years since I first stepped foot in Alaska and I can honestly say that experiencing multiple consecutive days of silence is one of the main reasons I spend so much time in the wilds of the Last Frontier every year. My normal, modern American life is filled with noises all day long. There are so many noises all around us and it’s not even possible to turn them off. Even in the smallest of rural towns, we still largely live in communities with lots of machinery and many forms of digital technology. Our neighbors are just as busy as we are each and every day running the rat race with cars, phones, garbage trucks, airplanes and everything else that makes sound. Not even a trip to a designated wilderness area like a national park or a local hiking trail can guarantee a break from urban noise. Most of our outdoor spaces are often filled with people trying to escape their own hustle and bustle.

But there are a few truly remote places left on Earth that aren’t filled with noise pollution. The vast wilderness of Alaska is not only filled with some of the most stunning scenery in the world but it is home to one of the most rare and precious gems…..Silence with a capital ‘S’. Of course it isn’t completely quiet. The birds chirp, the wind whirls, the creeks babble. The sounds of nature are all around you but they are all that you will hear (and possibly the occasional hum of a bush plane overhead). But that’s it. No industrial sounds, no vehicle sounds, no smartphone notification pings. It’s a nice break from the constant bombardment of disruptive, arrhythmic noises that fill our tech-fueled daily lives.

On a final note, it’s worth mentioning that the more recent noise of social media is not only escalating but it’s becoming a serious problem. No, I’m not suggesting that we all delete our social media accounts. I use social media and enjoy the positive attributes of sharing my work to help promote my business and see what my friends are posting. But it’s the darker side of social media that has become quite problematic. I’m talking about the constant noise of partisan finger-pointing, echo chamber soap-boxing and cancel culture torch-bearing that fills our feeds every single day. This behavior is appalling and destructive. It’s nothing but noise and it’s worth avoiding. So whenever you find yourself getting sucked too far down the social media rabbit hole, I recommend that you just stop, turn off your phone and sit in silence. Better yet, go outside and go for a walk or run. Find the least noisy place that you can. You’ll always feel better for it.

Silence is necessary for a healthy brain and there is science to support this. Our minds are in a constant state of alert from the continuous onslaught of daily urban noise. We need a noise-free break every so often to recharge our batteries. Sitting in silence, particularly the quiet of nature, has a calming effect on the brain. Obviously, the more you do it the better. However, spending even a few quiet days in wilderness just once each year can have lasting positive effects on our mental and physical health.

I know what some of you are probably thinking, “Won’t I be bored?”. How could a life without Netflix, YouTube or Instagram not be boring, right? Trust me, once you are sitting on the ground, sipping hot coffee in the cool, crisp mountain air while watching the sun rise above the horizon, you won’t even think or care about anything else. Silence is the loudest sound you’ll hear and you’ll be happy for it.