Workplace Noise
Noise can lend a workplace a pleasant social feel, but it can also be highly disruptive to your concentration.
Some people require a very quiet environment to reach good concentration levels, others thrive on working in noisy environments. Much depends on both the individual and the nature of the noise.
Blocking Out Disruptive Noise
Some kinds of noise are easily "filtered out"; others such as the wailing of an infant are all but impossible to ignore.
When a quiet environment is not available or not desired, it can be beneficial to "block out" disruptive noise by superimposing noise that is easier to filter out. This is called "sound masking".
"White Noise", "Pink Noise" and "Brown Noise" are often used for "noise canceling" or "noise blocking" purposes, because they consist of a constant "wall" of noise that effectively covers most normal environmental sound. The fact that it is completely random means that the brain is not expending much effort in trying to find patterns within it.
Some people like listening to music when working, but most music is not very well suited for this purpose: pauses and quiet parts let the environmental noise through and lyrics and interesting musical themes are hard for our auditory system to ignore.
Some natural, industrial and human sounds, such as waterfalls, air conditioning or indistinct chatter, are easily ignored and can provide a more "organic" working environment.
Finding the right background "noise" for yourself is a largely a matter of experimentation.
Using Background Sounds For Motivation
There is some evidence that background sounds ("soundscapes") can be used effectively to bring about particular states of mind.
Soundscapes and ambient sounds (such as a waterfall, a rainstorm, …) can be used to create a more pleasant, relaxing or energizing atmosphere.
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