Say Yes To Noise

It is a fact that most people can work efficiently from coffee shops and that coworking spaces do not disrupt workplace productivity. When there are multiple sources of noise and talking that blend together, we tend to focus on ourselves (unless obviously if you are passionate about eavesdropping).

The long-standing trope of pin-drop silence is now widely challenged by ambient-noise practitioners who claim background noise boosts productivity & focus instead. I personally feel growing up in environments with noise around us has conditioned us to function & perform better cognitively with blended noise in our background. 

Consider this, in a canvas full of blended colors, it’s easier to focus on a yellow dot more so than on a white canvas with multiple colorful dots. Similarly, background noise brings the focal point of our concentration to the task at hand. 

Several studies in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience indicates that white noise positively impacts on cognitive functions, such as creativity, learning and memory. The findings suggested that a moderate level of white noise (70 dB) improves creative tasks. However, higher levels (85 dB) negatively impacted creativity.

Research also suggests that video game background music is designed to engage and build focus amongst the players. Good music is usually given all the attention even though noise seems to have a similar, if not more positive impact on our productivity. 

This article puts the average noise level in an office to about 70 dB explaining why we can get work done in the office in spite of a few noisy coworkers around. 

Are you hampering your work by surrounding yourself with silence, especially while working at home?

Run these 5 noise experiments that can help you boost your focus and productivity. 

1. Recreate the office noise, this one has worked for me.
2. Youtube: Explore what works for you, white, grey, brown, violet, blue, pink, or even black noise. 
3. Noisili: Create what works for you through new tools.
4. Coffitivity: Coffitivity recreates the ambient sounds of a cafe to boost your creativity and help you work better.
5. Spotify: Try the Videogame soundtrack on Spotify. 

If you don’t yet have a preference, try each of the five options for a couple of hours until you find out what works best for you. 

Remember, the next time you can’t focus, make some noise!