9 ms·

I've worked in private offices, cubicles, open plan offices, coffeeshops, libraries, and now many many hours in home both when other family members are around a

I've worked in private offices, cubicles, open plan offices, coffeeshops, libraries, and now many many hours in home both when other family members are around and when they aren't. I spend a lot of time thinking about sound and focus. The conclusion I came to is that humans have a few emotional needs in order to reach deep focus: 1. We need to not be distracted and we need to feel certainty that we will not be distracted. Before we are comfortable untaking the work to architect a giant mental castle, we need to feel confident that someone won't come around to kick it down. 2. At a more primitive, simian level, we need to feel that we're in a safe environment. It's hard to focus on code if you're worried that a tree is going to fall on you or a lion will drag you off into the jungle. When it comes to sound, those can be opposing. Because we are a social species, I think one of the things that makes us feel most secure is the ambient present of a fellow tribe. To our early ancestors, dead silence meant you were alone, and being alone in the wilderness was often a death sentence. We instinctively feel safest when we hear the chatter and hub-bub of relaxed tribemates puttering around nearby. We know we're not alone, that there are others will also be alerted if something happens, and that they also feel safe. But the presence of fellow people can also mean that at any moment one of them might wander over and start talking to us. So hearing that ambient chatter can make it really hard to focus. This is, I think, part of why working in a coffeeshop can be so effective. You get the sense of safety in numbers, but since they are all strangers and at least in the US the social norms go against talking to strangers, you know the odds are slim that you'll actually be interrupted.

davidjytang 5y ago
Some of my most productive sessions are at night all quiet just me and my computer with no music playing and for sure no one would be talking to me. (Sometimes I do to myself.) Maybe I don't care for tribemates?
Terretta 5y ago
https://coffitivity.com https://coffitivity.com
Uberphallus 5y ago
> we need to feel certainty that we will not be distracted. This, so, much. Working from home with a young kid around, it always feels like something's gonna fall, the cat is gonna fight back, mom is gonna get mad at him for some reason, or simply he needs me to go play with him. I never know if I have 5 minutes or 3 hours. Nowadays I tend to not work so much during the day as I don't have the means to focus, then work into the night.
- hutzlibu 5y ago
  "Nowadays I tend to not work so much during the day as I don't have the means to focus, then work into the night. " And be nevertheless woken up early in the morning by your toddlers ...
- bcrosby95 5y ago
  Sounds like you guys haven't established any work boundaries. It can be impossible if both of you work. But if not.... I've worked at home for about 17 years now. I have a 6 year old, two 3 year olds, and my wife is a stay at home mom. I don't get interrupted, and there's never been an age range where I would regularly get interrupted. At the most frequent, maybe once per week. Definitely not even once per day though.
  - munificent 5y ago
    You may have established boundaries, but you almost certainly have your wife to thank for 99% of the enforcement of them.
    - codeduck 5y ago
      Was about to say, it's very easy to establish boundaries if you have someone enforcing them for you
      - deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
      - 5y ago
uptownfunk 5y ago
Is this why I have my best thoughts in the shower?
- rootusrootus 5y ago
  Personally, I think so. I get the same effect if I'm in the hot tub with the jets running. White noise blocks distractions pretty well, so my brain can get lost in thought.
  - rob74 5y ago
    You don't need a shower or hot tub for that, there are online noise generators with hundreds of different flavors such as https://mynoise.net/ https://mynoise.net/ - I prefer music most of the time however, the "rain sounds" are so relaxing that they make me sleepy...
    - rootusrootus 5y ago
      Yeah, I use a sound machine at home for sleeping. We started with our kids when they were babies, then decided we liked having one in our room as well. Haven't graduated to having one in my office, but maybe I should give that a whirl. Though one thing the shower & hot tub still have is temperature comfort. Warm and relaxing might be as important as the noise.
    - SV_BubbleTime 5y ago
      I’ve been programming to their rain on tent. I don’t get sleepy, but it’s a little jarring when I pull off the headphones, I want back in my tent!
- roland35 5y ago
  I prefer to call it the personal wet meditation chamber
  - kranner 5y ago
    That's a lovely phrase. I actually use showertime to observe a different aspect of the sensory experience everyday; the touch of the water as it moves around, the sounds of water and soapbar moving, etc. On some days it can be a complete break from thinking about anything and just observing this flow.
Eric_WVGG 5y ago
good observations, I’ve had some similar theories that you have better articulated https://noiz.io https://noiz.io was a lifesaver during quar’. virtual coffeeshop, artificial rain storms, even an ST:TNG-style outer space hum
- saila 5y ago
  https://mynoise.net/ https://mynoise.net/ is my goto for noise. I usually go for basic pink or brown noise, but they have a bunch of other fun and interesting sounds too. I have pink noise playing pretty much all the time at home. Not only does it mask some intermittent ambient noise, it's also too quiet without it. (Edit: I use sox in the terminal for this. Install sox then play -n synth pinknoise.) Just noticed the same person made https://noises.online/ https://noises.online/ too, which is like a simplified, browser-only version of myNoise ... and you can share mixes like https://noises.online/player.php?g=ca3fa3ib3 https://noises.online/player.php?g=ca3fa3ib3
jjtheblunt 5y ago
your point #1 is _exactly_ what i've learned empirically too, and with great unbounded frustration trying to explain it to a particular super manic super adhd super video-watching person i'm married to.
odyssey7 5y ago
And yet, as a freelancer/work-from-homer, I am told that my coffee shop receipts are not tax-deductible.
- ipaddr 5y ago
  Who told you that?
- clairity 5y ago
  you need to reclassify it as temp hourly office space with coffee included (half-joking). coffee shops (implicitly or explicitly) price in the cost table time into the drinks. that’s why they’re like $5 rather than $2. incidentally that’s also why we should all buy something every hour or two, and buying to-go is basically overpaying (which is fine, especially if you want to support your locally-owned coffee joint). edit: i should add that i’ve preferred working from a cafe over home (or the library, or even a quiet office) since i started the habit in college. similar to the root comment, it’s because there’s enough familiar noise, but not too many familiar people (but greater than zero people).
gzer0 5y ago
This is articulated particularly nicely and captures what I have observed myself. Thanks for sharing.
neom 5y ago
I almost can't work without the radio on. I can buy the comment that said we want people near us to work. I like working at home with the radio on, no one will bug me, but maybe it feels like people are around?
- reactspa 5y ago
  By "radio on" did you mean you're listening to a radio channel or to white noise?
  - neom 5y ago
    bbc world service or DW usually. I'm not listening though, occasionally I tune in, usually when I need to tune out of the work, and then tune back into the work, but it's just on, and my brain is good at using it for little rests when needed. DW is on right now, they've been talking about Bolsonaro for over an hour, all I know is some report came out and it wasn't favourable, but they've been talking about it for over an hour. Works super well for me! :)
- oldie 5y ago
  I'm a software engineer. I choose music or silence tactically. If I need to power myself through a task, I use music to do it. If I'm trying to solve a difficult problem or master a complex body of unfamiliar code, I need silence. Before WFH become the norm in early 2020, there were days when I made no progress at all until everyone else had gone home. The precious hour between 5pm and 6pm -- when the cleaners came and talked to me and broke my concentration again -- was sometimes more productive than the entire day that led up to it. What also helps, working alone, is the ability to talk out loud to yourself. For me, it's a superpower. I dread losing it if Management decides to pull us all back into the office when the pandemic is over. (Or, even worse, continually talking to myself without realising it. :-))
  - tapan_jk 5y ago
    > I dread losing it if Management decides to pull us all back into the office when the pandemic is over. One thing this pandemic will be remembered for is how it permanently changed the way desk jobs are done. If "Management" decides to pull you back into office, there are many more "Managements" who are waiting to hire you by giving you the option to remain remote.
adventured 5y ago
> We instinctively feel safest when we hear the chatter and hub-bub of relaxed tribemates puttering around nearby. We know we're not alone, that there are others will also be alerted if something happens, and that they also feel safe. I can confirm that is false. If it were an actual instinct, I would possess it as would essentially all people. I do not possess that instinct what-so-ever. I do not gain an increased feeling of safety from the chatter and hub-bub of relaxed tribemates puttering nearby. That context annoys me, rather than increasing my sense of comfort. There are multiple types of primary human personalities, not one. I'm a non-tribalist personality type. That means tribes don't tend to like me and I don't tend to like tribes. The tribe and I are not friends, we're closer to suspicious enemies. I disagree with tribal order. By default my personality rebels against tribal structures and most systems like that. I don't do well following others that attempt to command me (tribal systems always have some manner of hierarchy). I operate at a vastly higher degree of effectiveness without lots of other people around. I'm happier and more productive on my own or in small teams. This isn't a personality I developed over time through great effort. It has been that way at least as far back as 4-6 years of age. I've also spent my life from 15-40 years of age as an entrepreneur. I can be a decent employee, however I dislike it. I'm a disagreeable personality (to others), as such I'm poorly suited to government, consensus structures, tribal systems, politics and the like. I also don't enjoy asking permission first and I never seek approval from others, I very rarely get a personal sense of reward from the approval of others. That said, the people I do like, I like immensely; and I'm kind toward others who are kind toward me, I believe manners are important, politeness/kindness are important. I used to refer to myself as a lone wolf personality type, as opposed to a tribalist personality type; however that phrase has a particularly negative connotation these days. I seek to pile up a lot of money to get away from most aspects of society (in a comfortable manner), rather than to sit on top of society or eg receive prestige from a prominent place in society.
- Jensson 5y ago
  > The tribe and I are not friends Then they aren't "chatter and hub-bub of relaxed tribemates", rather to you it is "the whispers and noises of your enemies". Of course that wont get you relaxed. The effect comes from hearing people you are comfortable around talking, if you have a distrustful personality then likely you aren't comfortable around many people but the effect is still there, just that you lack another link.
ashupadhi01 5y ago
New to hackernews
Jentifgq 5y ago
The waiter asking every 10 minutes if I want more coffee or would like to order something/ is everything alright is quite distracting though?
philipov 5y ago
This is also why streaming like twitch is so effective as background noise. I can put on a streamer in the background and unlike a podcast, not feel the need to pay attention to what's going on at all.
throwaway743 5y ago
Personally, having people around, hearing speech (and involuntarily passively processing that speech), on top of environmental noises, is utterly distracting and hinders any kind of productivity. While I'm working, preferably alone, ear buds are in and a long instrumental track is played on loop, so that noise is drowned out, don't get distracted by having to select another song, and there's no need for my brain to process speech. It's amazing how well it works in keeping me focused. As of late, been playing Autechre's "Bike"
- gunfighthacksaw 5y ago
  Yea at work there was talk of installing an ambient noise machine in the new office because the “silence was too stifling”. I have no idea what that meant then, nor do I now. I found the new larger space with ~5 people scattered around absolutely heavenly to work in.
spaetzleesser 5y ago
I don't think there is one correct way. Sometimes I like some noise, sometimes I don't, sometimes I like having people around, sometimes I want to be alone. In the end it's about being able to control your environment to some degree. That's what open offices and cube farms have taken away. Being able to control room temprature is also very helpful.
bittercynic 5y ago
Having mature dogs is fantastic in this regard. They generally won't bother you unless there's a good reason, but you can feel assured that a tiger will not be able to sneak up on you without the dogs warning you about it.
- irrational 5y ago
  Are tigers a typical concern where you live?
  - bittercynic 5y ago
    Haha, no, but there may be some subconscious comfort in knowing the dogs have my back.
  - giardini 5y ago
    This does happen occasionally, in the following case last May - "Tiger loose in Houston for a week finally captured": https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/tiger-loose-in-houston-for-a-week-finally-captured/ar-BB1gMfAc https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/tiger-loose-in-houston-...
- giardini 5y ago
  This does happen occasionally, in this case last May - "Tiger loose in Houston for a week finally captured": https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/tiger-loose-in-houston-for-a-week-finally-captured/ar-BB1gMfAc https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/tiger-loose-in-houston-...
nickthemagicman 5y ago
Holy cow you have articulated what I've been feeling for decades. This is great! Having the ambient noise and not feeling alone and vulnerable but also feeling safe and amongst people is like the perfect set up for deep concentration for me.
tarsinge 5y ago
Your theory is interesting but what about the studies that link noise to stress and health issues?[0] Maybe background noises of voices have a different effect? [0] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5898791/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5898791/
- munificent 5y ago
  I think the kind of "noise" discussed in the study here is different from something like the hubbub in a coffeeshop: > Recently, we demonstrated that aircraft noise exposure during nighttime can induce endothelial dysfunction in healthy subjects and is even more pronounced in coronary artery disease patients. Obviously, no one enjoys being woken up at night by passing airplanes.
- 542354234235 5y ago
  The study focuses on three main things: road noise, air traffic noise, and industry noise. As part of that, it shows the link between annoyance at a noise and the chronic stress, anxiety, and health issues that come from that. For instance, Fig. 7 shows people are far more annoyed by road and aircraft noise than other types, including “neighborhood” noise, and Fig. 8 that shows the link between annoyance and rates of various issues. So it doesn’t seem to be saying that any noise leads to negative effects, but that specific types of noises act as a kind of environmental pollution.
alfonsodev 5y ago
The place I focus the most is in an airplane. Maybe as you are saying the presence of fellow tribe, but in this case I know they won't come to talk because we all have the seat belt, and when the is allowed to take it off, it's the social norm to minimise interactions due to the reduced space, people usually keep the norm to enable the corridor just for the staff and trips to the bathroom. But additionally: - Being offline, also makes you feel certain no one will interrupt you electronically. - No one would expect you to get anything done in airplane, and that can feel like a liberation, meaning you can catch up and the time feels "free". - Timing is programmed, start and end and the food breaks in between are scheduled and announced. - And the noise inside the cabin combined with noise cancelling headphones, I don't know why, it helps.

davidjytang 5y ago

Some of my most productive sessions are at night all quiet just me and my computer with no music playing and for sure no one would be talking to me. (Sometimes I do to myself.) Maybe I don't care for tribemates?

Terretta 5y ago

https://coffitivity.com https://coffitivity.com

Uberphallus 5y ago

> we need to feel certainty that we will not be distracted. This, so, much. Working from home with a young kid around, it always feels like something's gonna fall, the cat is gonna fight back, mom is gonna get mad at him for some reason, or simply he needs me to go play with him. I never know if I have 5 minutes or 3 hours. Nowadays I tend to not work so much during the day as I don't have the means to focus, then work into the night.

hutzlibu 5y ago
"Nowadays I tend to not work so much during the day as I don't have the means to focus, then work into the night. " And be nevertheless woken up early in the morning by your toddlers ...
bcrosby95 5y ago
Sounds like you guys haven't established any work boundaries. It can be impossible if both of you work. But if not.... I've worked at home for about 17 years now. I have a 6 year old, two 3 year olds, and my wife is a stay at home mom. I don't get interrupted, and there's never been an age range where I would regularly get interrupted. At the most frequent, maybe once per week. Definitely not even once per day though.
- munificent 5y ago
  You may have established boundaries, but you almost certainly have your wife to thank for 99% of the enforcement of them.
  - codeduck 5y ago
    Was about to say, it's very easy to establish boundaries if you have someone enforcing them for you
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - 5y ago

uptownfunk 5y ago

Is this why I have my best thoughts in the shower?

rootusrootus 5y ago
Personally, I think so. I get the same effect if I'm in the hot tub with the jets running. White noise blocks distractions pretty well, so my brain can get lost in thought.
- rob74 5y ago
  You don't need a shower or hot tub for that, there are online noise generators with hundreds of different flavors such as https://mynoise.net/ https://mynoise.net/ - I prefer music most of the time however, the "rain sounds" are so relaxing that they make me sleepy...
  - rootusrootus 5y ago
    Yeah, I use a sound machine at home for sleeping. We started with our kids when they were babies, then decided we liked having one in our room as well. Haven't graduated to having one in my office, but maybe I should give that a whirl. Though one thing the shower & hot tub still have is temperature comfort. Warm and relaxing might be as important as the noise.
  - SV_BubbleTime 5y ago
    I’ve been programming to their rain on tent. I don’t get sleepy, but it’s a little jarring when I pull off the headphones, I want back in my tent!
roland35 5y ago
I prefer to call it the personal wet meditation chamber
- kranner 5y ago
  That's a lovely phrase. I actually use showertime to observe a different aspect of the sensory experience everyday; the touch of the water as it moves around, the sounds of water and soapbar moving, etc. On some days it can be a complete break from thinking about anything and just observing this flow.

Eric_WVGG 5y ago

good observations, I’ve had some similar theories that you have better articulated https://noiz.io https://noiz.io was a lifesaver during quar’. virtual coffeeshop, artificial rain storms, even an ST:TNG-style outer space hum

saila 5y ago
https://mynoise.net/ https://mynoise.net/ is my goto for noise. I usually go for basic pink or brown noise, but they have a bunch of other fun and interesting sounds too. I have pink noise playing pretty much all the time at home. Not only does it mask some intermittent ambient noise, it's also too quiet without it. (Edit: I use sox in the terminal for this. Install sox then play -n synth pinknoise.) Just noticed the same person made https://noises.online/ https://noises.online/ too, which is like a simplified, browser-only version of myNoise ... and you can share mixes like https://noises.online/player.php?g=ca3fa3ib3 https://noises.online/player.php?g=ca3fa3ib3

jjtheblunt 5y ago

your point #1 is _exactly_ what i've learned empirically too, and with great unbounded frustration trying to explain it to a particular super manic super adhd super video-watching person i'm married to.

odyssey7 5y ago

And yet, as a freelancer/work-from-homer, I am told that my coffee shop receipts are not tax-deductible.

ipaddr 5y ago
Who told you that?
clairity 5y ago
you need to reclassify it as temp hourly office space with coffee included (half-joking). coffee shops (implicitly or explicitly) price in the cost table time into the drinks. that’s why they’re like $5 rather than $2. incidentally that’s also why we should all buy something every hour or two, and buying to-go is basically overpaying (which is fine, especially if you want to support your locally-owned coffee joint). edit: i should add that i’ve preferred working from a cafe over home (or the library, or even a quiet office) since i started the habit in college. similar to the root comment, it’s because there’s enough familiar noise, but not too many familiar people (but greater than zero people).

gzer0 5y ago

This is articulated particularly nicely and captures what I have observed myself. Thanks for sharing.

neom 5y ago

I almost can't work without the radio on. I can buy the comment that said we want people near us to work. I like working at home with the radio on, no one will bug me, but maybe it feels like people are around?

reactspa 5y ago
By "radio on" did you mean you're listening to a radio channel or to white noise?
- neom 5y ago
  bbc world service or DW usually. I'm not listening though, occasionally I tune in, usually when I need to tune out of the work, and then tune back into the work, but it's just on, and my brain is good at using it for little rests when needed. DW is on right now, they've been talking about Bolsonaro for over an hour, all I know is some report came out and it wasn't favourable, but they've been talking about it for over an hour. Works super well for me! :)
oldie 5y ago
I'm a software engineer. I choose music or silence tactically. If I need to power myself through a task, I use music to do it. If I'm trying to solve a difficult problem or master a complex body of unfamiliar code, I need silence. Before WFH become the norm in early 2020, there were days when I made no progress at all until everyone else had gone home. The precious hour between 5pm and 6pm -- when the cleaners came and talked to me and broke my concentration again -- was sometimes more productive than the entire day that led up to it. What also helps, working alone, is the ability to talk out loud to yourself. For me, it's a superpower. I dread losing it if Management decides to pull us all back into the office when the pandemic is over. (Or, even worse, continually talking to myself without realising it. :-))
- tapan_jk 5y ago
  > I dread losing it if Management decides to pull us all back into the office when the pandemic is over. One thing this pandemic will be remembered for is how it permanently changed the way desk jobs are done. If "Management" decides to pull you back into office, there are many more "Managements" who are waiting to hire you by giving you the option to remain remote.

adventured 5y ago

> We instinctively feel safest when we hear the chatter and hub-bub of relaxed tribemates puttering around nearby. We know we're not alone, that there are others will also be alerted if something happens, and that they also feel safe. I can confirm that is false. If it were an actual instinct, I would possess it as would essentially all people. I do not possess that instinct what-so-ever. I do not gain an increased feeling of safety from the chatter and hub-bub of relaxed tribemates puttering nearby. That context annoys me, rather than increasing my sense of comfort. There are multiple types of primary human personalities, not one. I'm a non-tribalist personality type. That means tribes don't tend to like me and I don't tend to like tribes. The tribe and I are not friends, we're closer to suspicious enemies. I disagree with tribal order. By default my personality rebels against tribal structures and most systems like that. I don't do well following others that attempt to command me (tribal systems always have some manner of hierarchy). I operate at a vastly higher degree of effectiveness without lots of other people around. I'm happier and more productive on my own or in small teams. This isn't a personality I developed over time through great effort. It has been that way at least as far back as 4-6 years of age. I've also spent my life from 15-40 years of age as an entrepreneur. I can be a decent employee, however I dislike it. I'm a disagreeable personality (to others), as such I'm poorly suited to government, consensus structures, tribal systems, politics and the like. I also don't enjoy asking permission first and I never seek approval from others, I very rarely get a personal sense of reward from the approval of others. That said, the people I do like, I like immensely; and I'm kind toward others who are kind toward me, I believe manners are important, politeness/kindness are important. I used to refer to myself as a lone wolf personality type, as opposed to a tribalist personality type; however that phrase has a particularly negative connotation these days. I seek to pile up a lot of money to get away from most aspects of society (in a comfortable manner), rather than to sit on top of society or eg receive prestige from a prominent place in society.

Jensson 5y ago
> The tribe and I are not friends Then they aren't "chatter and hub-bub of relaxed tribemates", rather to you it is "the whispers and noises of your enemies". Of course that wont get you relaxed. The effect comes from hearing people you are comfortable around talking, if you have a distrustful personality then likely you aren't comfortable around many people but the effect is still there, just that you lack another link.

ashupadhi01 5y ago

New to hackernews

Jentifgq 5y ago

The waiter asking every 10 minutes if I want more coffee or would like to order something/ is everything alright is quite distracting though?

philipov 5y ago

This is also why streaming like twitch is so effective as background noise. I can put on a streamer in the background and unlike a podcast, not feel the need to pay attention to what's going on at all.

throwaway743 5y ago

Personally, having people around, hearing speech (and involuntarily passively processing that speech), on top of environmental noises, is utterly distracting and hinders any kind of productivity. While I'm working, preferably alone, ear buds are in and a long instrumental track is played on loop, so that noise is drowned out, don't get distracted by having to select another song, and there's no need for my brain to process speech. It's amazing how well it works in keeping me focused. As of late, been playing Autechre's "Bike"

gunfighthacksaw 5y ago
Yea at work there was talk of installing an ambient noise machine in the new office because the “silence was too stifling”. I have no idea what that meant then, nor do I now. I found the new larger space with ~5 people scattered around absolutely heavenly to work in.

spaetzleesser 5y ago

I don't think there is one correct way. Sometimes I like some noise, sometimes I don't, sometimes I like having people around, sometimes I want to be alone. In the end it's about being able to control your environment to some degree. That's what open offices and cube farms have taken away. Being able to control room temprature is also very helpful.

bittercynic 5y ago

Having mature dogs is fantastic in this regard. They generally won't bother you unless there's a good reason, but you can feel assured that a tiger will not be able to sneak up on you without the dogs warning you about it.

irrational 5y ago
Are tigers a typical concern where you live?
- bittercynic 5y ago
  Haha, no, but there may be some subconscious comfort in knowing the dogs have my back.
- giardini 5y ago
  This does happen occasionally, in the following case last May - "Tiger loose in Houston for a week finally captured": https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/tiger-loose-in-houston-for-a-week-finally-captured/ar-BB1gMfAc https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/tiger-loose-in-houston-...
giardini 5y ago
This does happen occasionally, in this case last May - "Tiger loose in Houston for a week finally captured": https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/tiger-loose-in-houston-for-a-week-finally-captured/ar-BB1gMfAc https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/tiger-loose-in-houston-...

nickthemagicman 5y ago

Holy cow you have articulated what I've been feeling for decades. This is great! Having the ambient noise and not feeling alone and vulnerable but also feeling safe and amongst people is like the perfect set up for deep concentration for me.

tarsinge 5y ago

Your theory is interesting but what about the studies that link noise to stress and health issues?[0] Maybe background noises of voices have a different effect? [0] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5898791/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5898791/

munificent 5y ago
I think the kind of "noise" discussed in the study here is different from something like the hubbub in a coffeeshop: > Recently, we demonstrated that aircraft noise exposure during nighttime can induce endothelial dysfunction in healthy subjects and is even more pronounced in coronary artery disease patients. Obviously, no one enjoys being woken up at night by passing airplanes.
542354234235 5y ago
The study focuses on three main things: road noise, air traffic noise, and industry noise. As part of that, it shows the link between annoyance at a noise and the chronic stress, anxiety, and health issues that come from that. For instance, Fig. 7 shows people are far more annoyed by road and aircraft noise than other types, including “neighborhood” noise, and Fig. 8 that shows the link between annoyance and rates of various issues. So it doesn’t seem to be saying that any noise leads to negative effects, but that specific types of noises act as a kind of environmental pollution.

alfonsodev 5y ago

The place I focus the most is in an airplane. Maybe as you are saying the presence of fellow tribe, but in this case I know they won't come to talk because we all have the seat belt, and when the is allowed to take it off, it's the social norm to minimise interactions due to the reduced space, people usually keep the norm to enable the corridor just for the staff and trips to the bathroom. But additionally: - Being offline, also makes you feel certain no one will interrupt you electronically. - No one would expect you to get anything done in airplane, and that can feel like a liberation, meaning you can catch up and the time feels "free". - Timing is programmed, start and end and the food breaks in between are scheduled and announced. - And the noise inside the cabin combined with noise cancelling headphones, I don't know why, it helps.