From my personal Medium profile
I Stopped Listening to Music — The Reason Will Shock You
It started as a random thought. One evening, while scrolling through my playlist, I wondered what harm music could possibly cause. I had always been the type of person who wrote, worked, cooked, walked, travelled, and even fell asleep with earphones in 24/7. Slow music filled every silent space of my life, and I was romanticizing it.
But somewhere along the way, I started noticing something unsettling. The silence felt foreign. My mind craved sound the way some crave caffeine. I realized I could no longer sit quietly without feeling restless. That is when I decided to stop listening to music, completely.
It was not a casual experiment. It was a conscious choice, one that surprised even me. And what happened after changed my understanding of focus, peace, and self-control.
The First Few Days Felt Empty, but I Eventually Learned It
The first week felt like withdrawal. My daily routine was strangely empty. I would sit down to write and instinctively reach for my headphones. Silence used to make me uncomfortable. It was like staring at a blank screen with no idea what to type.
But then something shifted. After a few days of resisting the urge, I began to notice the sounds around mesuch as the wind outside my window, the rhythmic tap of keys, and even the hum of the fridge. It felt like rediscovering the world in its raw form. My attention became sharper (I am feeling like Putin while writing this. He has nice observations). My thoughts were no longer being constantly scored by background beats.
I did not expect this, but my focus improved dramatically. Tasks that once took me hours started taking less time. Research backs this up. A study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology (Perham & Vizard, 2011) found that
listening to background music while performing complex tasks can impair concentration and memory.
When I worked in silence, I processed information faster. I could read longer, retain more, and write with more coherence. For someone who spends most of the day crafting words, managing socials, and thriving in the digital realm, that felt like a superpower. Since lyrics were not echoing in my subconscious mind, I was comprehending information more clearly and making fewer mistakes.
Most people associate music with stress relief. I did too. But after stepping away from it, I noticed a strange calm settling in. There was no emotional rollercoaster triggered by sad lyrics or dramatic beats.
A 2013 study in PLOS One actually showed that high-tempo or loud music can chronically elevate stress hormones like cortisol. When I read that later, it made perfect sense. My stress levels were steadier without those constant mood swings music used to amplify.
I Hated Dependency by Any Means, Anyways!
Before I quit, I relied on music to manage emotions. If I felt low, I would play soft songs. If I was anxious, I would play something upbeat. It worked temporarily, but it also created dependence. I am delighted to meet the independent version of myself that is not only
financially but mentally eliminating songs from my life.
When I removed that external control, I was forced to face emotions as they were. There was no playlist to distract or disguise them. Over time, I learned to process feelings in silence, to sit with them, and let them pass naturally.
Read full article here:
It started as a random thought. One evening, while scrolling through my playlist, I wondered what harm music could possibly cause. I had…
medium.com
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I was the same way when I was younger.
I thought they are among the more organic sounding bands of recent times. Brent Smith is a terrific singer imo. 
