We’ve all read the familiar advice about how to boost our productivity. Make a to-do list. Set priorities. Use the Pomodoro Technique. Take a short nap. Break tasks into smaller, manageable chunks. These suggestions are useful—but what if we need more help?
Fortunately, there’s a simple, easily accessible, and even fun way to boost our productivity: by tuning into our five senses—and in particular, to our sense of hearing.
By paying attention to our senses, we can identify factors that support or disrupt our focus, and boost or diminish our productivity. With that knowledge, we can improve the experience of the workplace, whether we work in an office, at home, or in a hybrid setting.
This hack is quick, easy, and inexpensive. We don’t need to buy something, take a class, or make an appointment. Our senses are available to us right now.
To improve your sensory surroundings, you might clear the clutter around your desk, clean out the smelly fridge filled with your coworkers’ abandoned leftovers, or bring in a pillow to make your chair more comfortable. You might turn your phone to “grayscale” so it’s less enticing, use a pleasant smell to cue your brain that it’s time to buckle down, or hold a smooth pebble in your hand during a demanding video call, to help you stay focused.
But here’s an aspect of work life that many people overlook: your sound environment.
After researching and writing my most recent book, Life in Five Senses, in which I explored how tuning into my five senses made me happier, healthier, more creative, and more productive, I wanted to learn more about how other people perceive their senses.
What’s their most appreciated sense? The most neglected one? Tens of thousands of people have now answered this question. The most appreciated sense surprised me: hearing. But although people recognize the pleasure, comfort, and connection supplied by their hearing, they may not be tapping into its power to boost productivity and concentration.
Whether you work in a cubicle, an open-plan office, at home, or in public, the sounds around you will affect your performance.
Here are some possible steps to take:
Identify and eliminate bothersome noises
Fix a squeaky chair; wear noise-canceling headphones; play white noise, brown noise, or pink noise to create a more consistent sound environment. (My favorite is pink noise, which has a deeper, smoother sound than white noise–more like steady rain.) And definitely turn off all unnecessary device notifications. Studies show that the constant disruption can break our concentration to the extent that our work suffers.
Our brains are wired to be particularly attentive to human voices and faces, so depending on your workplace, you may be especially distracted by other people’s conversations. If so, try to find a place where you can’t hear (or even see) others. Research on the open office plan suggested that one low-volume conversation can distract up to 20 employees.
Customize your sound environment
Many people assume that what works for them works for everyone, so you may have an office manager who tries to enforce complete quiet, or a colleague who wants everyone to agree on a workplace playlist, or a spouse who doesn’t understand why you’re so distracted by overhearing a video call happening in another room. But different sound environments help different people to improve their focus and productivity. Which suits you?
- Complete silence—this is my personal favorite sound environment
- A busy hum, such as a coffee shop—this is my second-favorite
- Cacophony—a friend did the frantic last-minute work on her PhD thesis working at a train station
- Nature sounds—whether actual nature or recorded sounds of birds, frogs, babbling brook, rain
- Music without lyrics
- Music with lyrics
- Music with one song playing on a loop for hours—I was astonished to learn that many people concentrate best when they listen to a single song over and over
In general, music has a dramatic influence on our bodies, minds, and behavior, so use music to boost your energy and mood. Research shows that the right music can help us feel less stressed, more focused, and more energetic. If music is a helpful tool for you, find the right kind for the atmosphere you’re trying to create.
Experiment with other sounds
If you’ve never tried working with different soundscapes before, try it. You may be assuming that “Everyone concentrates better in silence,” when in fact, that’s not true for you.
Consider others
As we shape our environments, it’s crucial to remember that we all experience our own unique sensory world. If you share surroundings with other people, what feels comfortable to you might not feel comfortable to them. The aim is to create an environment where everyone can thrive. Loud jazz might work for you, but it’s probably not going to work for a roomful of coworkers.
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