White Noise – The Key To Improving Your Concentration At Work?

Colleagues gossiping about their weekend plans, whirring printers and never-ending phone calls. These are the unmistakable sounds of the modern office preventing a businesswoman from focusing on her tasks and todo’s.

Every workplace comes with its own quirks, but when you have a growing list of tasks that you need get done a noisy office can seriously affect your productivity and ability to concentrate. If (like me) you sometimes struggle to tune out background noise, the good news is there could be a simple solution to helping you keep focused: white noise.

What is white noise?

White noise is a variety of sounds that are played on different frequencies. The idea behind this is that these sounds can help to block out background sounds that can be distracting.

Can white noise really help a businesswoman?

If you are an extrovert, did you know that white noise might be the key to improving your productivity levels at work? This is according to one study in Scotland, which found that your personality type could play a role in how well you respond to white noise. The study tested how introverts and extroverts were able to do on cognitive tests when they were exposed to a range of everyday sounds. Although most people did much better when they were working in silence, the study found that extroverts responded better to white noise than introverts.

One theory behind this result is that introverts are more sensitive to distractions or changes around them compared to extroverts.

Is white noise better than silence?

For some businesswomen, having a relatively quiet workspace would be ideal. But, this is not always possible especially if you find yourself in a busy environment!

To get the most out of your working day, it is a good idea to try out different techniques like listening to white noise or music and keeping an eye on whether they do help you focus.

Are there any white noise apps that I can download?

Depending on what kind of white noise you are looking for, there are lots of different apps that you can download, like White Noise, Noisli and Rain Rain.

If you are not sure about trying out white noise, you could always try apps like Tide, which offers a range of soothing sounds like ocean, rain and forest noises.

Will white noise work for me?

Everyone responds differently to office environments. Some workers are at their most productive when they are in a buzzing atmosphere, whilst others prefer to have a bit of peace and quiet to get things done. If you have a tough time getting things done in a busy or noisy atmosphere, listening to white noise or even music might be the way forward.

Have you tried using white noise to concentrate? Let us know what you think and whether it has worked for you!