When was the last time you spent a moment savoring silence? Tricia Hersey, aka The Nap Bishop, guides us through an appreciation of silence and its restorative powers.

Scientists have found that spending just two minutes in silence can lower your blood pressure and heart rate, even when compared to listening to slow, relaxing music.

How to Do This Practice:

1. Find a quiet place to rest. Set a two-minute timer and put it aside.

2. Close your eyes and soften your face. Allow yourself to listen to the silence and rest your body.

3. At the end of the two minutes, slowly open your eyes and notice how you feel in your body. Or, continue resting in silence for as long as you need.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Tricia Hersey is an activist, organizer, and founder of The Nap Ministry. She is also the author of a new book, Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto. Order it here: https://tinyurl.com/5bkk6txk

Learn more about Tricia and her work: https://thenapministry.com/

Follow Tricia on Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/thenapministry/\](http:// https://www.instagram.com/thenapministry/)

Follow Tricia on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thenapministry/

Follow Tricia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thenapministry

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

• How to Avoid Burnout—or a Breakdown: https://tinyurl.com/5h4nrahy

• What Is Black Fatigue, and How Can We Protect Employees from It?: https://tinyurl.com/yzcujre7

• Quiet Justice: https://tinyurl.com/yc78fknk

More resources on the science of silence:

• TIME - How Listening to Silence Changes Our Brains: https://tinyurl.com/4brpst8b

• Healthline - 8 Physical and Mental Health Benefits of Silence, Plus How to Get More of It: https://tinyurl.com/5d84mxen

• New Scientist - The power of quiet: The mental and physical health benefits of silence: https://tinyurl.com/2wn82wkr

• PsychCentral - The Hidden Benefits of Silence: https://tinyurl.com/2p9fkc36

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of holding silence. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

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We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.