Strategies to Lessen Noise in Your Home Office

Strategies to lessen noise in your home office is one of the biggest challenges in working remotely. From the neighbor’s leaf blower in the suburbs to sirens blaring down a city street, outdoor noise is more difficult to mitigate than indoor. Noise is at its very least a concentration interrupter while at its worst can cause high blood pressure and increased cortisol levels. But both can be addressed to a certain degree once you’ve identified which noises are the most bothersome and why.

Take Inventory

Decibel readers can be purchased for under $20 which might be helpful if you’re trying to measure whether or not a neighbor’s backyard music falls within your town’s noise ordinance or not. From your home office, measure with your window open and your window shut. A decibel reader can also be helpful to measure how loud indoor and outdoor machinery is and whether or not it reaches harmful levels. As you measure each noise write down the decibel level and whether or not the noise interrupts your work.

Rank Noise Offenders

Look through your list of noises in your home office and number the offenders from most distracting to least. The specific noise and where it comes from will decide how you can deal with it. Also note whether or not the decibel level falls within a danger category as classified by the CDC. Remember, “the effect of lower noise levels over long periods is the same as louder noise levels over a shorter period.” And even if a noise does not register as technically damaging, if it is annoying to you within your home office then it will affect your productivity. Number the noises from most irritating and causing distraction to you, not necessarily where they land on the CDC list.

Chart a Course for Remediation

Some noise can be scheduled around. Or perhaps you are able to schedule some meetings out of the house. Some of the noises that can be addressed fairly well include

• Road traffic (light to medium) - Hang heavy drapes over home office windows, make a “green wall” or fill the windowsill with live plants, place soundproofing panels over windows.
• Indoor appliances (vacuum, dishwasher, etc…) - purchase noise canceling earphones, invest in a proper headset with noise canceling microphone, change your household schedule to run appliances when you are not working at home.
• Neighbor’s lawn crew - use the same suggestions to soundproof windows as above. Also, inquire if there is a set day of the week or month that the crew comes. Try to schedule around their visits.
• Neighborhood music - Play soft ambient noise (waves crashing or rainfall) to block the music. As more people hardscape their backyards, outdoor music crossing property lines is becoming a problem. Talk to your neighbor if you have a good relationship with them. If the music is extremely loud, take your decibel measurements and check them against your town or city’s noise ordinance. You may have the law on your side.

Noise can disrupt an entire day’s workflow. Noting which offenders can be addressed will help lower your anxiety and be in more control over your work environment. A good pair of noise canceling headphones will go a long way to cover a number of noise offenders. If that is not enough, remain flexible until you find a satisfactory solution so you can enjoy a productive day.