How Background Noise Can Ruin Productivity—and the Gadgets That Can Help

For most people, the loud noise of an open office or airplane registers as nothing more than a slight annoyance or distraction. But these sounds can have a real impact on our ability to do our jobs. They can even serve as a direct line to the nervous system and are capable of wresting us away from a physiological state conducive to health, happiness, and productivity.

Humans have a hardwired response to different audio frequencies that comes from prehistoric (and pre-human) times. Back then, if you heard an especially low-frequency sound—perhaps a growl coming from brush—the chances were pretty good that you were about to face a threat. Similarly, if you heard a high-pitched squeal or yelp, you were probably near an injured animal—and whatever had caused that injury. Experts say these noises can cause our nervous system to think we're in danger, engaging a sort of “survival mode” whereby it’s extremely difficult to focus on spreadsheets and PowerPoints. For some people, the threshold is low enough that even common noises such as office air conditioners or elevators can have this effect.