By Michelle White, The Inspired Wellness Coach, NTP
Inspired Wellness Podcast – Episode 31 Recap
Listen to the full episode here on Apple or here on Spotify
Have you ever noticed that when you feel moody, irritable, or just… off, it’s not always because of what you ate, how much you slept, or even your hormones? Sometimes, the culprit is much simpler: too much noise.
And I don’t just mean the sound of traffic, your kids yelling in the next room, or the constant ping of your phone. I’m talking about all the layers of noise—auditory, informational, and even internal—that crowd our nervous system and keep our cortisol high. For women in perimenopause and menopause, when our stress response is already more sensitive, this overload can take an even bigger toll.
In this week’s Inspired Wellness Podcast, I dove into the hidden costs of noise, why silence is more powerful than we think, and practical strategies to weave more quiet into your life.
How the World Got So Much Louder
Life today is noisier than ever—not just in sound but in information. Back in the 1980s, the average person consumed the equivalent of about 40 newspapers’ worth of information per day. Today, that number has jumped to around 170 newspapers’ worth daily. That’s like sitting through more than 500 State of the Union addresses every single day.
The problem? Our brains haven’t evolved to handle this. The same nervous system designed for a handful of conversations and maybe a nightly news broadcast is now juggling texts, pings, podcasts, emails, and the endless scroll of content. It’s no wonder we feel mentally fried and emotionally reactive—our nervous systems are swimming in noise, and they rarely get the silence they need to reset.
The Three Types of Noise We Face
Noise shows up in more ways than we realize:
- Auditory Noise – The obvious sounds around us: traffic, TV, kids, phone alerts, even the neighbor’s lawnmower. Emergency sirens have even been engineered louder in recent years just to cut through the constant hum of modern life.
- Information Noise – The nonstop flood of emails, texts, group chats, reels, ads, and notifications that trick us into feeling like we need to be “on” all the time.
- Internal Noise – The self-talk, worries, and mental to-do lists that run on repeat in our minds. For many of us, this can be the loudest of all.
When all three layer together, our nervous system never gets a break.
Why Silence Matters
Silence isn’t empty—it’s restorative. Studies show that silence benefits the brain more than classical music, white noise, or even nature sounds. Without it, our stress hormones stay high, our focus plummets, and our mood suffers.
Instead of seeing silence as wasted or “uncomfortable,” we can start reframing it as space—space to breathe, reflect, reconnect, and calm down. It’s a gift we can give ourselves, and one we can teach our kids. Even small practices, like driving home from school in silence, can help our children (and us!) unwind from the constant stimulation of daily life.
Simple Ways to Invite More Silence
Silence doesn’t have to mean a meditation retreat or hours in solitude. It can look like:
- A noise audit – Take stock of what’s filling your ears, your feeds, and your mind. What can you turn down—or turn off?
- Silent rituals – Use daily activities like making coffee, taking a shower, or school pickup as intentional no-noise moments.
- Nature therapy – Connect once a day with something bigger (a tree, the stars) and something smaller (a flower, an ant trail) to reset perspective.
- Tech boundaries – Mute group texts, stop “liking” just to acknowledge, and give yourself screen-free time before bed.
- Embracing noise differently – On days when silence feels out of reach, practice listening intentionally to the sounds around you. This mindful awareness itself can quiet the internal chatter.
And here’s one more tip: on days when you know you’ll be drained—whether it’s a long work meeting, a sports event, or caring for a family member—protect your quiet time even more. Your brain and body need that reset so you can show up with more energy before and after those moments.
A Final Invitation
Here’s the best part: this podcast episode was shorter than usual—on purpose. So instead of queuing up your next show right away, I invite you to pause. Give yourself those extra five minutes of quiet. Your mind and nervous system are craving that break.
Because sometimes the most powerful reset we can offer our midlife bodies isn’t another supplement or diet—it’s simply… quiet.
How to find me
Catch this conversation and more on Inspired Wellness Podcast on your favorite podcast platform!
Want more frequent tips and knowledge? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @theinspiredwellnesscoach
Want to submit a question? Email me
And check out my Services page to learn more about my nutritional therapy services for women in perimenopause and beyond.
DISCLAIMER This blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any health-related decisions. By reading this post, you agree to take full responsibility for your health and well-being.
