Investing in noise cancelling headphones dramatically increased my productivity and well being. Not just in the office but using them to dampen urban environmen

Investing in noise cancelling headphones dramatically increased my productivity and well being. Not just in the office but using them to dampen urban environmental noises during the commute. The other side benefit was that it created a nice ritual for getting into the zone whenever I need to. I'm sure managers love open offices because they can keep a pulse on office activities but anything that requires thinking really benefits from less noise and random intrusions.