Minimizing
Noise Stress
Noise can cause intense stress.
High levels of background noise can severely
impair your ability to concentrate. In an
open plan office, the sound of people talking
casually, of office machinery, or of meetings
going on, can undermine the quality of work
done. Ringing telephones disturb not only
the person to whom the call is directed,
but also other people in the same area.
Reliable research has been carried out showing
that excessive, intermittent or unpredictable
noise can raise people's blood pressure,
and reduce people's performance at complex
tasks. It can cause tetchiness, tension
and headaches, in addition to a loss of
concentration. It can also damage a team’s
work, as people in a noisy environment tend
to become more irritable and less willing
to help one-another out.
Solutions to noise at work can involve:
- Installation of partitions to deaden
sound;
- Use of meeting rooms separate from the
main work area;
- Use of quiet rooms when concentration
is needed;
- And, if all else fails, use of earplugs!
In a home environment, unwanted noise can
be even more stressful and irritating as
it intrudes on private space. Where noise
comes from neighbors, or from someone sharing
the house, let them know that you have a
problem with their behavior in a suitably
assertive manner. Ask that the music be
turned down, or that a different room be
used. When noise comes from outside the
home, think about what physical barriers
you can use to reduce the noise.
Click here
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