Buzzing, dinging, honking, chattering, the rustle of wind, the sound of rainfall, all these types of sounds can either collectively spell white noise or major distraction. Researchers have found a moderate amount of ambient focus mind white noise boosts productivity. There are even applications for it. No wonder some people love to work in public.
WHAT IS FOCUS MIND WHITE NOISE?
Have you ever fallen asleep in front of the TV, only to wake up later with a snowy screen in front of you and static noise coming from the television? Many people associate white noise with this exact situation. The term “white noise” is actually closely related to white light that combines together all colors or frequencies of color. Similarly, white noise is a combination of all the different frequencies of sound between 20 and 20 000 Hz that our ear can actually recognize and hear.
So, when you’re hearing white noise, you’re actually hearing approximately a bunch of different tones of sound all at the same time. Think about it this way. When you’re in a room with two or three other people who are talking, you can easily distinguish the individual voices of your companions.
Now, imagine you’re in a stadium, and thousands of people are chatting at the same time. You can no longer determine who’s saying what. Instead, it all sounds like a blurred roar. Focus mind white noise has a similar effect. Since you hear a variety of sounds at the same time, they all turn into that distinguishing hissing sound and block out other disturbing noises. Interestingly, we can hear mind focus white noise on a daily basis without even noticing. Some examples include a steady rainfall or ocean waves hitting the shore and both cases of natural white noise and often included in white noise videos on YouTube.
And now that you know how white noise is generated, let’s look at some of the reasons why white noise could benefit your productivity and work performance.
WHERE WHITE NOISE MAXIMIZES FOCUSES?
Some time ago, our co-working space hosted an improvisation masterclass during the working hours. Fun as it was, the event was also incredibly loud.
But with white noise in my headphones, it didn’t matter as my favorite white noise video provided a soothing background that not only drowned out the shouting, but eventually calmed my urge to shush everyone.
And that’s precisely one of the main benefits of white noise. By eliminating distractions, it helps you to stay focused on the task at hand without surrounding disturbances interrupting your workflow.
HOW MUCH WHITE NOISE IS TOO MUCH?
The study observed people working in 50, 70 and 85 dB noise levels and found those working in the moderate range perform best. White noise operates on a similar paradigm as the Mozart effect the theory that certain music, namely classical, spurs one’s ability to solve abstract problems or improve creative flow. With music, science has shown that a moderate tempo without quick changes or lyrics works best. When the brain fixates on patterns it recognizes, and music stops becoming white noise, it can turn into a distraction.
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HOW WHITE NOISE WORKS?
White noise, like the hum of a plane engine or the quiet murmur of chatting passengers, is quickly filtered by the brain into ambient noise. You might not even notice it. White noise also helps to make other sounds less distracting.
Many people now sleep, work and walk to music or white noise, like wind, water, insects or rain in hopes to drown out distracting noises around them. You can find white noise to soothe babies, settle pets or help you concentrate.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF NOISES?
Sound has many colors. These color noises, or sonic hues, depend on the intensity and distribution of energy.
There are many color noises, including:
PINK NOISE
Pink noise is deeper than white noise. It’s like white noise with a bass rumble.
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WHITE NOISE
White noise includes all audible frequencies. Energy is equally distributed across these frequencies, unlike the energy in pink noise.
White noise examples include:
- whirring fan
- radio or television static
- hissing radiator
- humming air conditioner
BROWN NOISE
Brown noise, also called red noise, has higher energy at lower frequencies. This makes it deeper than pink and white noise.
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BLACK NOISE
Black noise is an informal term used to describe lack of noise. It refers to complete silence or mostly silence with bits of random noise.
For more tips to boost your team’s productivity visit Time Logger.