Why Noise is Better Than Quiet

When it comes to productivity, many of us believe that silence is golden. We go to great lengths to escape the noise and distractions in our surroundings and achieve the elusive state of a quiet mind. However, what if we told you that noise can actually be your best friend? That’s right. Noise, when harnessed in the right way, can actually boost your productivity and help you get more done. In this article, we’ll explore why noise is better than quiet and how you can use it to your advantage.

The Problem with Quiet

The biggest problem with quiet is not that it takes a lot of time to find but that it can actually be counterproductive once you do find it. Dan Benjamin, on an episode of his Back to Work podcast, discussed how we are not meant to work in a completely quiet or noise-free environment. In fact, if you’re out in the woods and you hear the crickets chirping and other sounds of nature going on around you – and then it all stops – it means that there is danger lurking somewhere. It creates a tension that actually inhibits progress rather than promotes it.

You need to learn to work with noise. When it’s too quiet, your mind naturally wonders when the next distraction is going to arrive. That takes your focus away from the work. To have a din of crowd noise or the hum of your heating system clearly audible while you are working away may be enough to keep you on task. For others, they may need the hustle and bustle of an office or coffee shop to keep them focused on what they are doing. Absolute quiet (or the removal of ambient noise) can really work against you in many circumstances.

Make Noise Your Ally

So how do you make noise work for you? Firstly, acknowledge that noise can actually help you to focus. Whether it be the sound of other people typing or the buzz of music in the background, noise can provide just enough stimulation to help you zone in on what you need to do. Secondly, experiment with different levels of noise to see what works best for you. Some people may find that a low hum in the background helps them to focus, while others may benefit from the chatter and noise of a bustling café.

Thirdly, use noise as a tool to keep you motivated. Think about the times when you get ‘in the zone’ and everything else fades into the background. This is often when you’re listening to music or have some ambient noise going on around you. Embrace those moments and use them to drive you forward. Finally, don’t be afraid to let your personal noise come into play. If you need to take a break to listen to your favorite song or step outside to breathe in the sounds of nature, do it. Your mind needs that time to reset, and it will be able to come back to the task at hand with renewed focus.

When Quiet Works

Quiet can be your best friend when you need to let your mind wander. There’s often nothing better to have around you than “quietude” when you don’t have to focus on one thing in particular. When you invite quiet into your world, you invite the possibility of noise as well. That means that the noise of your ideas, your thoughts, your plans and your goals that may not have a chance to breathe otherwise can freely enter and leave your mind without fear of repression. That’s when quiet works for you – and when you need that time that is when you should work to find quiet.

Conclusion

Noise is very subjective, and what works for one person may not work for another. However, what you can accomplish while surrounded by noise of varying volumes can be very specific because your mind (when disciplined and working on something important enough to you) can wade through the noise and get to the work. Quiet invites your own personal noise into your world, which can be the ultimate distraction unless you want all of it to be present. So don’t seek quiet to escape the noise – it can and will work for you. Seek to find quiet for the time to let your own personal noise come into play. That’s when counter-productivity can turn into productivity in both the short- and long-term.