I'm not saying earplugs don't help at all, just that it depends on what the source of the noise is. For me, the noises that are most stress-inducing are extreme

I'm not saying earplugs don't help at all, just that it depends on what the source of the noise is. For me, the noises that are most stress-inducing are extreme low frequencies that vibrate the building, and earplugs don't seem to help much with that.