What’s Your Preferred Background Noise?
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What is your preferred background noise? Are you more efficient for some types of tasks with a specific background noise on? White noise, brown noise, classical music, “brain” music… what are your thoughts?
My $.02 on Background Noise
I'm one of those annoying people who finds it hard to focus with any background noise at all… I've sometimes tried to put some on in order to drown out other ambient noise (like a fantastically loud coworker next door), but it has to be something I really want to focus on. I absolutely cannot focus if there's anything with words in the background, such as lyrics (or podcasts, or Netflix comfort shows).
Over the years I've had various playlists, first for ambient music without lyrics (like classical, but it has to be relaxed classical — I can't focus if something like In the Hall of the Mountain King is in the background). For my kids we've investigated white noise — one still prefers to sleep to a noise machine playing a gentle rainstorm — and I can sleep in the same room as him, like if we're on vacation, but it isn't my preference. I've also tried to experiment with different types of noise (brown noise! pink noise!) but regardless of how they make me feel, nothing has improved my focus better than silence.
Over to you, readers — what is your preference for background noise? Have you tried different kinds over the years?
Stock photo via Stencil.
Deep thinking: silence / noise cancelling / very low music
General, straightforward work: upbeat music from spotify
I know some people are into podcasting and netflix while doing work but I just can’t concentrate on both. Podcasts or audiobooks are great for me for chores time, where the work is brainless and boring! And I love my husband but if he’s walking around with tiktok on full volume, no headphones…. *he had it coming*.
I have created an all instrumental playlist for deep concentration; I put on noise cancelling headphones and listen to it. I swear at this point it’s Pavlovian – I always start from the beginning of the playlist and I think my brain now automatically says “concentrate.” And I do.
Nerd alert, but when I’m really needing to focus, I put on one of the Apollo missions from https://apolloinrealtime.org/
It’s the audio from an entire mission, so occasional silence, lots of technical jargon which goes in one ear and out the other, occasional static, etc.
It’s just enough to keep me out of my own thoughts and focused on what I’m supposed to be focused on.
Intense focus for something with a tight deadline: techno with a heavy, driving beat and in a language I don’t speak. I don’t listen to techno otherwise.
I like real ambient noise (or silence) otherwise. The normal traffic and city sounds at the office; neighborhood kids, birds, and breeze sounds at home. I’m not a huge fan of white noise for its own sake unless it has a real purpose, like the sound of the HVAC blower cycling on and off or a ceiling fan in the summer.
My office has piped-in white noise all over our building. It sounds like a steady fan blowing. It never stops. I have insisted it be turned off in my office because otherwise I get headaches from it.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I’m in an open office cube after over a decade with an office with a door I could shut. Now I endure loud conversations, nearby executives who leave office doors open and take all calls on speaker, and a neighboring cube mate who clears his throat loudly every 1-2 minutes all day every day. My job requires extensive deep thinking work and all of the background noise is incredibly distracting. I wear noise canceling headphones to listen to music most of the time. I hate this because people come up behind me to talk and I can’t hear them.
Thinkin’ Songs – spotify playlist by NPR https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7sGwhTZRp9s9kLfEHY2wFD?si=e07Xwx0TSMC23x2DMiAYvQ
I almost always have some background noise going. If I really need to concentrate, no music with words. Classical, instrumental piano or guitar, even electronica. Most days: some assortment of pop, rock, or Americana. I listen to podcasts when I’m doing boring scut that only needs half my brain.
If I need to knock out a lot of work quickly, I play something loud, fast, and fun to pump myself up. Last year during busy season I was rocking out to 80s and 90s hard rock and heavy metal.