Using sounds to focus at work
The presence of noise around can be a major distraction when you are working in office. The typing away on keyboards, folks chatting away at the water coolers, bells ringing and so many other noises. And then the sudden ring of a colleagues phone out of nowhere, almost gave me a heart-attack sometimes.
Stochastic resonance research from Edith Cowan university showed that having an optimal levelled-out background noise around you can go a long way to bring that concentration back. Perceptual decision-making relies on the gradual accumulation of noisy sensory evidence.
Every type of sound possess different characteristics and purposes. For example, white noise can be better for focus and relaxation, while ambient noise fosters creativity. Ambient sounds can range from flowing waterfalls to the steady hum of life in a coffee shop. The noise level depends as well — too loud, and it becomes distracting all over again.
Imagine being in a room of 2–3 people who are talking to each other. You can clearly understand what they are speaking. Now, imagine being in a stadium with thousands of people chatting away. You can no longer hear them individually, but you hear a blurred noise all around.
Having a white noise or some relaxing music playing near you drowns away the shouting, keyboard typing, bells ringing, and chitter-chatter. By eliminating distractions, it helps you to stay focused on the task at hand without surrounding disturbances interrupting your workflow.
A study conducted at the University of Illinois observed people working in 50, 70 and 85 dB noise levels. 85 decibels distracted people and made it harder to think, thus impairing creativity. However, the best performance was found among those listening to 70 dB of noise. It was just loud enough to keep the idea gateway open during the generative phase of creative problem solving, but wasn’t so overwhelming as to completely distract people from their task.
White noise, relaxing sounds and ambient sounds are great for light sleepers as well. If you struggle to get good sleep, having white noise calms down your mind, and also drowns away any distractions near you, giving you a good sleep! Because we all know that a good night’s sleep is needed, for a productive day at work.
We at The Somnos Project are building a portfolio of products catered to helping people relax and focus at work, using the power of sounds. We are in an early stage right now; but if you are interested in knowing about our products or gain early access to our products, do get in touch with us.
