How is this a news? This should be apparent in any office setting since the invention of office work places.
Office noise bothers some people more than others
401–410 of 509 posts
Re: Office noise bothers some people more than others
#402Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Theoretically, the brain can get used to certain kinds of regular noise and filter it out, and then, if the disruption is a small sound that occurs irregularly... if you add constant white noise that's louder than the sound, then the sound should get quite literally lost in the noise. Just an FYI, while this is basically true for neurotypical people, for some people (for example those with ADHD or who might be on t…
White noise machines are recommended for people with sound sensitivities who have trouble falling asleep, including those with ADHD and autism. Whether it works well or exacerbates the issue depends on the individual, but assuming that it would simply add to the cognitive load is a stretch, and I wouldn't be surprised if in fact it worked more often than not. One of the most popular white noise machines is the Marpac…
I didn't know that this product existed, it's interesting to see such a thing be around in the age of bluetooth speakers:
https://www.amazon.com/Marpac-Classic-White-Noise-Machine/dp...
It's a fan in a box, with a certain shape so that when the fan is spinning it ends up generating a nice sound.
Thanks for the info
Re: Office noise bothers some people more than others
#403I currently work for a startup and all three of us are hotdesking. We're constantly moved to new spaces in the hotdesking space because a new company is leaving/moving in. I've sat beside recruiters, property managers and salespeople. There's no "quiet" room. The meeting rooms cost a few hundred and need to be pre-booked. My home environment isn't a quiet refuge either. Beside a busy street, more flatmates than their…
DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying this to be a jerk. This is not uncommon. There is a fair chance that your core annoyance is something else. That is, if you somehow got a perfectly sounds proofed workroom of your own, you would after a while realize that you're still irritable, find it difficult to concentrate etc. Often, we don't want to face our real problems and assign discomfort to some external thing we have no power…
YMMV. I can relate. When I'm stressed for various non-noise related reasons, I am more easily irritated by noises, and I usually, initially, assume it's the noise.
On the opposite note, I can perform extremely well in noisey environments if I am enjoying what I am doing - like I am able to just tune it out.
Circumstance and other stressors may be a main factor, or it could just be the noise. I imagine it really depends on the person.
Re: Office noise bothers some people more than others
#404During my first internship when I was 20, I worked for a summer at a medium-sized packaging company to improve their aging order-handling software. Because the floor managers were on the warehouse floor almost the entire day, I took over one of their offices. That summer, I had my own office and it was incredible.
Since then, I have worked in cubicles or desks in open-plan offices.
Now, almost 10 years later, as a (small) team lead at a relatively prestigious company, I realize that I may never have my own office again in my professional career. This thought is oddly depressing.
When I really need to concentrate on a task, I take a portion of the morning and do the task at home, in my home office. I am very aware this is not something most people can do (both because I have the authority to just not come in on a given morning, and because I can afford to have a home office in my own home which is mostly silent). Many on my team do the same thing, possibly accepting that the office is a fundamentally distracting environment. I worry what effects this may have on younger team members who don't have access to a home office.
I do see the benefits of open-plan offices (for one, being at work feels less alienating), but I think we may have lost something important in the transition.
Re: Office noise bothers some people more than others
#405Earlier quoted context omitted.
DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying this to be a jerk. This is not uncommon. There is a fair chance that your core annoyance is something else. That is, if you somehow got a perfectly sounds proofed workroom of your own, you would after a while realize that you're still irritable, find it difficult to concentrate etc. Often, we don't want to face our real problems and assign discomfort to some external thing we have no power…
Can you provide some research that backs up your claim here? Quiet, distraction-free spaces (libraries) for studying / working have been around roughly forever. Are you suggesting that these spaces provide no tangible benefit, and the millions of people who utilize quiet spaces for concentration are somehow mentally invalid? I commend you on the achievement of reaching a state of mental nirvana that allows you to con…
You seem to have read my disclaimer "There is a fair chance that..." as "It is absolutely certain that...".
Re: Office noise bothers some people more than others
#406Earlier quoted context omitted.
I know this isn't a great solution, but could you try a lightweight pair of headphones, and some relaxing music? Not particularly heavy music mind, but just something you can leave in the background. Maybe a movie soundtrack. I use videogame OSTs but that's not everyone's cup of tea. This would maybe make the headphone issue more bearable (lightweight - much less uncomfortable for long periods), and the goal isn't to…
I’ve never understood how some people believe that the problem of too much noise could be solved by adding more noise. There’s too much light in my eyes, and dark glasses are uncomfortable. Well, have you tried shining another light at your face? Maybe a different color of light would help.
Ever been bothered by a bright clock in your bedroom? Or the bright red light on the smoke detector or thermostat? In a pitch black room, these lights annoy the shit out of me. Do those don't bother you more or less during the daytime in a sunlit room?
Re: Office noise bothers some people more than others
#407I wear over ear headphones with a 10hr stream of airplane cabin noise playing through it.
I despise almost all noise these days
Re: Office noise bothers some people more than others
#408Earlier quoted context omitted.
DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying this to be a jerk. This is not uncommon. There is a fair chance that your core annoyance is something else. That is, if you somehow got a perfectly sounds proofed workroom of your own, you would after a while realize that you're still irritable, find it difficult to concentrate etc. Often, we don't want to face our real problems and assign discomfort to some external thing we have no power…
So, to be clear, your suggestion is—having no personal space, no quiet area, a constantly shifting work environment, for what is presumably a programming profession in a field dominated by introverts, and the poster stating this is a problem to the extent that escape seems a viable alternative—that the source of his or her stress is some unmentioned, unrelated personal problem.
I'm suggesting it's a possibility worth considering.
Since he's also permanently annoyed outside work, non work factors fit the data.
Re: Office noise bothers some people more than others
#409Wow, what a revelation. I did not realize that people were different. /s
Re: Office noise bothers some people more than others
#410I'm lucky in that I can code in any environment and I get used to things pretty easily. I can be interrupted by a coworker and can resume programming immediately. I recently started working near a door that slams shut. I was angry at first but it took me about a week to completely ignore it.