Creating Peaceful Time in a Noisy Office

Working in utter silence isn’t a privilege most people have. This is especially true when you work in a busy office. The sound of business thriving isn’t exactly pleasant on the ears. Luckily, there are lots of ways that workers and employers can deal with the noise and make their office into a relatively peaceful place to work.

Get Some Earplugs

The most obvious solution to getting rid of noise is to simply block it out. If you can’t hear it, it can’t really affect you and your work. Earplugs are a lot more effective than people give them credit for. They aren’t as uncomfortable as they used to be, and they block out all the unnecessary sounds around you while still making it somewhat easy to have conversations.

A good pair won’t cost you more than a few dollars, and they can really change your perception of the workplace. The type you choose should be comfortable and effective in isolating you from the hustle and bustle of a busy office.

Enjoy Some Alone Time

During your lunch break, you probably want to get away from the stress of working in a busy environment. For most people, just taking a break from work does the job just fine. However, you don't really leave the noisy environment, which means you don't get the full benefits of resting away from your workspace.

The best way to get some peace and quiet would be to take your lunch outside. Having a brisk and calming walk around the block or through a park would do wonders for your state of mind. After breathing in some fresh air and stretching your legs, you will come back to the office feeling refreshed and more creative than you were before.

Try Calming Yourself from the Inside

Part of the problem with dealing with outside noise is how you perceive it. When you’re stressed out, it’s a lot easier for things to get on your nerves and bother you. If you’re calm and composed for most of the workday, you can be sure that noise won't affect you all that much.

To reduce anxiety and feelings of stress, you can make use of meditative practices during the workday. There are lots of ways to meditate without having to move from your desk, and they are very effective at making you feel comfortable during work hours. The way you focus your thoughts can have a significant impact on your perception of your surroundings.

Move Around

One of the great benefits of working in a modern office is the ability to switch up the pace of your work. Even if you’re limited to working within the office walls, you don’t necessarily have to stick to one single spot at your desk.

If your office has a lounge or kitchen area, you can be sure that these places will be quieter than the main workspace. Spending just one hour working there instead of being among other employees could do wonders to make you feel calm.

If you work on a laptop, mobility isn’t much of an issue. As long as you have a spot to plug in your charger, you should be good to go.

Work on the Acoustics

Offices aren’t exactly famous for being perfectly designed for proper acoustics. Much of the noise you have to listen to exists only because the walls and ceilings aren’t made to distribute sound evenly. It’s not something most business owners think about when organizing their office, even though it has a significant impact on work productivity.

With the help of experts like 45dB Workplace Acoustics, managers are able to create an office that can stay busy while not being too loud for people to focus on their projects. There are several changes that can positively affect the acoustics of a room. Having protruding suspended ceiling elements that can absorb sounds will make the noise less prominent in the room below it.

Once the noise has been reduced to the bare minimum, installing partitions and screens to separate rooms and hallways will make for better sound isolation.

Politely Interrupt Coworkers

People aren't used to listening to themselves. Our ears block out the sounds that we produce simply because it makes it easier to focus on everything else that's around us. It's the reason why hearing yourself on a tape recorder feels weird. Because of this effect, most of your coworkers will have a difficult time figuring out whether or not they're a source of noise when they're talking on the phone or working at their desk.

If someone is being a bit too loud, you can be sure that you aren’t the only one bothered by the sound. Be polite when you approach the person in question and point out that they’re being a bit too loud and that you can’t focus on your own work. Hopefully, they’ll be understanding and try their best to keep it down for the sake of their fellow coworkers.

It’s hard to work in a noisy environment and actually get any significant work done. You might not notice it at first, but noise can cripple productivity and lead to a loss of focus. If you try out some of these methods for noise reduction, you can be sure that work in the office will continue as if it were a tranquil room for meditation.