Discovering Inner Peace Amidst Urban Noise

This essay, authored by 16-year-old Gayatri Srivastava from the Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai, was selected among the top ten entries in a recent informational writing contest for teenagers.

Her work offers a thoughtful perspective on embracing silence within the relentless noise of everyday urban life.

Discovering Inner Peace Amidst Urban Noise

“Silence is not merely the absence of sound,” reflects Suraj Mehta, a railway guard at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. “It’s a state you nurture inside yourself even as the world races by.” For over two decades, Mehta has been surrounded by the clanging of metal wheels and the hurried footsteps of thousands. “If you wait for the world to quiet down, you’ll never experience true silence. You have to cultivate it within.”

To find stillness, begin by creating space inside yourself — a gap between your thoughts, between breaths, and between the dawn’s first light and the day’s demands. Silence lives in these quiet intervals, ready to be uncovered. Start by focusing on your breathing: take deep, deliberate inhales that fill your lungs and slow exhales that release built-up tension. Relax your entire body, from head to toe. “Before the rush begins, I take a moment on the platform at daybreak to listen to the gentle hum of the tracks,” Mehta shares. Taking these moments for yourself can provide a sanctuary amid the chaos.

In an era of constant distractions, silence becomes an intentional choice. “Noise isn’t just what you hear,” Mehta explains. “It’s everything that pulls your attention away from your own self.” Once you discover your inner quiet, guard it fiercely. Resist the urge to check every notification or respond instantly to every alert. Embrace digital silence to allow your mind a chance to rest from unceasing stimuli.

“Learn to spot the quiet moments hidden in everyday life,” Mehta advises. These brief pockets of calm may be fleeting but are always present — whether it’s the early morning stillness before a city awakens or the hush that precedes a performance’s curtain rise. Sometimes, silence is a place you choose to enter: a tranquil park at sunset, an empty library corridor, or a secluded garden bench can offer valuable respite.

Though the world’s noise may never fully subside, stepping back and letting it recede can reveal that silence has been with you all along, patiently awaiting your attention.