Self-guided activity: Silence and sounds

What will you need?

• A place to lie down comfortably with your eyes closed without interruption for at least 5 minutes.
• A piece of paper, and pen or pencil.

Step by step

In this activity you will lie with your eyes closed.

Read these instructions first so you know what to do while you are lying with your eyes closed. If you want, you can set a timer for 5 minutes or ask a sibling/parent to let you know when 5 minutes have passed so you know when to open your eyes again.

1. Find a comfortable place to lie down with your eyes closed.
   Cover your eyes with your hands or a piece of clothing if that helps you to relax. Put your piece of paper and your pencil near you.
2. Try to let your breathing become slow and easy.
   As much as possible try to draw the breath to your stomach. You might be able to hear your own breathing, or even your heart beating.
3. Lie quietly and listen to the sounds you can hear.
   Listen to all the many different kinds of sounds you can hear, coming from different sources. Start with the loudest and most noticeable sounds, and then listen to the other sounds you notice.
4. Keep listening.
   Are there any sounds you heard only once? Are there any sounds that you hear repeated? Are there sounds that you’re unfamiliar with? Are they repeated in a steady rhythm, or at random times? Try to notice these patterns in what you hear.
5. After 5 minutes, open your eyes and sit up.
   Find your piece of paper and your pencil or pen.
6. Write down all the sounds you heard.
   Try to use creative language to describe them, such as words that sound like the noises you heard. If you want, you can try to write them in the order that you heard them, repeating those you heard often, and adding notes for periods of silence between sounds.

Create more

• Write/create a story, poem or song from the list of sounds you heard OR create a drawing or collage that illustrates the sounds you heard.
• Remember you can “create more” in any way you like. There is no right or wrong way to create more!
• Create a “detective” game for yourself or your household, by trying to find the source of every sound you heard – especially those you did not recognize at first!
• Keep your list and repeat the activity whenever you want and in other areas of where you live. Notice how the sounds you hear may be different.
• Repeat the activity whenever you feel stressed, overwhelmed or just need a little
  break.

Share

Online:

• Send a text with the list of sounds you heard, or the story, poem or song you created to the chat group.
• Look for more messages from the chat group to see what the others have created and participate in a discussion with them!

Everyone (online and offline):

• Share what you heard and created with your household, but only if you want to do so.
• Lead this activity with people from your household. See if their lists are the same as yours and create one long list.