How To Stay Productive In A Loud Office
Open offices are great for encouraging team interactions and providing a welcoming workplace. However, have you ever read something again and again for many times because the surrounding environment is noisy?
Knowing that staying productive in a loud office environment can be challenging, but there are several strategies you can employ to help you focus and maintain productivity.
Wear Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Headphones, especially noise-cancelling headphones/earpods can create a barrier to prevent loud noise from coming through your ears. Hence, investing in a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones help create a quieter environment and allows you to concentrate better. In addition, motivating music or white noise may be used to mute out distracting sounds and create a more concentrated environment.
Look for Another Place
If headphones cause you uncomfortable, find a quieter area in the office where you can work without interruptions. My suggestion is an empty conference room or a phone booth/networking space.
Divide Jobs Based on Concentration Levels
When you have different tasks to do in the day, you can consider divide them by level of concentration needed. For example, spend the quiet time on strategic, brainstorming tasks while you can send emails in a noisy environment. Moreover, just focus on one task only at a time and keep all your concentration on that one.
Establish Boundaries
Communication between co-workers is necessary to create a polite working space. You should let your colleagues know the importance of minimizing noise disruptions during working hours or when you need high focus. In this case, your attitude plays an important role. Kindly ask them to keep their voice down or use designated areas for conversations.
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Create a Visual Barrier Yourself
For example, a small plant on your working desk creates a visual buffer. That not only helps reduce distractions but also give you a sense of privacy. When you are stressed with your tasks, take a look at the flower vase where the flower is blooming, or the plant under sunshine. The bright colors will make you feel relaxed and comfortable, and bring you higher concentration.
Use Productivity Apps
In the 4.0 era, taking advantage of technology is the way to make our life easier. There are methods that help structure your work into focused intervals with regular breaks, enhancing productivity. Here are several apps suggestions: Pomodoro Productivity Timer, Focus To-do, Be Focused, Focus Keeper - Time Management, Clockwork Tomato, PomoFocus,...
Practice Stress Reduction Techniques
Staying calm is the secret to concentrate. To clear your thoughts and re-energize, try stress-reduction practices such as deep breathing exercises, mindfulness, or taking brief walks.
Above are 7 strategies you can apply to achieve higher concentration in noisy working spaces. Moreover, if you are allowed to work flexible hours, remotely, or hybrid,... take a look at these bellowing tips:
Adjust your work hours: Considering coming earlier or staying later at work. These are both time slots when the office has fewer people than usual, and can be a quieter space for you to stay focus.
Seek remote work options: If allowed, working from home or a quieter location (library, cafe,...) can help you eliminate the distractions of a loud office.
It's simpler to concentrate when you can hear your own thoughts over the noise of a full organization. But sometimes you don't have a choice; you're imprisoned in a noisy environment and expected to complete your task anyway. Hope those tips above are helpful for your working experience.
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Meet The Writer!
Hello! It’s My Nguyen from Vietnam! I am currently a college student majoring in Business Analytics and Marketing at Lindner College of Business, University of Cincinnati. I have a passion for writing, especially about Gen Z, College life, Business related fields,... In 2019, I had my story published in the book for the Christmas event of Thanh Nien Publisher. For me, writing is an ideal way to nourish the soul. It helps you communicate with yourself and understand your feelings. I love making new friends. Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram and check out my College diary!
