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17
May 2012

Feeling Distracted & Unproductive at Work?

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I recently saw this on Facebook.

It had this caption: “No wonder I’m so unproductive today.”

No wonder at all- this poor girl got 5 posts on her timeline in a matter of minutes from the same person!  And that’s just a few minutes on Facebook- that doesn’t include countless other time-wasting devices that divert our attention from work.  Workers are constantly distracted- more than 2 hours a day!  Interestingly, though, internet adventures are not the number one culprits.  It’s office noise, namely conversational distraction.  Crazy, right?  It’s not so crazy when you factor in how close people work together in cubicles- they are captive to every conversation around them, whether they want to be or not.

An easy solution for workers in any office is a good sound machine, such as the Sonet.  The Sonet is arguably the best sound machine available in that it is is highly effective white noise without being excessively noisy itself because it has Multi-Channel Technology along with a broader range of volume control to cover unwanted voices and other noises common to any work space.  The Sonet reduces the degree to which you hear these noises anywhere from 15-100 percent.

If office noise is distracting you {even more than your pals on Facebook}, try a good sound machine to tune it out.

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15
May 2012

Annoying Noises: Part 2

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Last time I started a list of people’s biggest noise pet peeves, starting with child-related noises {crying babies, whining children, etc.}.  I took a Facebook survey, and the list

Nature sounds always trump lawnmowers or weed whackers.

didn’t end there.  There were several more that were broader, but still resonated with me {a girl who detests unnecessary noises!}.  Thus, today let’s look at some of the other irritations people reported.

  • hubbie snoring :) While I try to sleep of course!!
  • Husband Snoring keeps me awake
  • Neighbor’s lawn mower or tractors rank fairly high around here but the worst is kids playing loudly which inevitably dissolves into fighting and screams for, “Mooommmm!”
  • lawnmowers/weed whackers while kids or i are trying to nap. drives me bonkers :
  • Barking dogs during the day while trying to work or study inside or out.
  • Seagulls! I have visions of avenging my wakeful state with blow-dart tranquilizers.
  • House noises, dishwasher, heating unit…and some guy yelling at the Blackhawks game until 2am :)
  • birds tweeting….I was going to go back and buy {a} bird canvas for {my daughter} and I didn’t because the bird woke me up that morning.
  • We have water dripping right outside our bedroom window when it rains and it drives me crazy when I’m trying to sleep.
  • Noises from other apartments can also be bothersome
  • Ting sound when a fan chain is hitting the globe of the light(at my in-laws). Taped it to the globe, lol!

You may have noticed that many of these noises are pretty typical for most homes- you may not have tractors wheeling by, a snoring spouse, or a clanging ceiling fan, but surely you have something that drives you a bit batty while trying to relax or fall {and stay!} asleep.  I loved people’s solutions, some practical {taping the chain}, some a bit frightful {tranquilizing a seagull, though they do deserve it}.  I’ve said it before, but a great solution for so many of these noise problems is white noise.  Just like annoying and overly chatty co-workers, these noises can be tuned out with the help of a good sound machine.  Who wouldn’t prefer nature sounds to a dripping faucet or snoring significant other?

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10
May 2012

Annoying Noises: Part 1

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We all have our pet peeves, especially those that involve noise, from screaming babies to hooting owls to honking horns.  At best these noises are frustrating and distracting; at worst, they put us on edge and keep us from living peacefully with those around us.  I thought I’d do a 2-part post for how to deal with various noise pet peeves, starting with those that involve babies and kids.  I did an online Facebook survey to find out what annoys people the most and how they deal with it.  Let’s start with what really jerks their chains:

Top Most Annoying Child-Related Noises

 

  • Can’t concentrate if there is a crying baby. I cant even walk through a shop hearing another persons baby crying. My stomach just turns and I feel like just want to console their little heart
  • Whining. I can’t think straight if my kids are whining.
  • I concur with whining. Detest it.
  • Also a child blowing a whistle in my ear- happened.

I also asked what they did to deal with or manage the noise.  Most commented that they just had to bear it.  Others mentioned “I normally do some amazing parenting technique like switch on the telly.”  Still others take a shower to tune out the noise. Most did not have a great solution, mostly because they felt that since it was usually their own children crying or whining, there wasn’t much they could do.  I disagree.  I will skip the “you should just have better-behaved kids” conversation because those of us who are actually parents know that there are appropriate times for kids to cry, and we also know that sometimes our kids just misbehave. I’m not here to lecture about better disciplinary measures, rather how to deal with the resulting noise.  I have several suggestions:

  • If you have a spouse, take a break!  Get out of the house and enjoy some time by yourself.  Even if you have a tiny baby you’e breastfeeding, nurse the baby and then GO!  Or leave a pumped bottle.  Everyone deserves a break, even moms (in fact, especially moms).
  • Give your kids a break.  Some call it a time out.  If they’re crying or whining inappropriately, there’s no reason to have to just grin and bear it.  Set a timer and tell them that they can come out when they settle down.
  • Sometimes your kids need a break from their siblings’ crying.  We use a sound machine for them, too!  Whether my toddler is throwing a temper tantrum during the baby’s nap or the baby is waking for her early morning feeding, there’s no reason for everyone to lose sleep over it.
  • If you can’t leave the house and it is okay to do so, turn on a sound machine.  There are times my husband are home, but I need to be home, too, yet I don’t feel like dealing with excessive issues.  He takes over and I tune it out with my sound machine for half an hour.  I’m not kidding.

Kids can be noisy, especially our own.  Just because it’s your own child making a fuss doesn’t mean you have to be held captive to it.  Try some much-needed breaks and even your trusty sound machine when you need some peaceful time.

Categories: Tips and Tricks
08
May 2012

Tips for Jet Lag: Part 2

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Tips for Jet Lag

Last time I gave you 2 tips for jet lag:

  • Many people recommend jet lag reduction pills as a homeopathic option.  You simply swallow the pills every few hours as you fly.  They do not help you sleep at the right times, but they do help you feel better instead of crazy-tired.
  • Sound machines can help more than just at work to tune out noise.  Some sound machines come withjet lag reduction features.  Sound machines like the Night Wave silently guide you in a unique pre-sleep relaxation session in the privacy of your own bedroom with a soft blue light.  The “luminance” of the light slowly rises and falls. Simply lie with eyes open and synchronize your breathing with the blue wave as its movement becomes slower and slower. After a short time, NightWave shuts off and you roll over and fall asleep. And unlike sound machines, the soft light does not disturb others.

I thought I’d follow up with some tips for kids with relation to jet lag.

Tips for Jet Lag with Kids

Jet lagging is hard enough as an adult, but at least we know what’s going on and can power through it.  Kids, on the other hand, just know something is off and Mommy and Daddy are putting them to bed at weird times and are none too pleased to be awakened when it feels like it’s the right time to get up.  Poor little guys.  I know from experience- I have lived overseas for 4 years with 2 kids, and we just added a third.  We have flown across time zones more times than I care to count, and by far, the most stressful part of the trip for me is knowing how hard it will be on the little ones.  That said, I’ve learned a few things I’m happy to share that might make your jet lag experience with your kids a bit easier.

  • Count on 1 day for every hour of change.  We had a 6 hour change- therefore, it took about 6 days for everyone to be completely back on track and feeling well.
  • Be reasonable in your expectations- you can’t expect to regain 6 hours in 1 night, no matter how tired you are.  (see #1)
  • Eat meals on the NEW time schedule.  This will help your (ahem) bowels, as well as your ability to sleep at the new times.
  • Shorten naps- don’t allow yourself or your children to nap for long periods during the day (unless they are infants).  This will only prolong the nighttime troubles.
  • Decide on a course of action for middle of the night wakings- will you snack a bit, get a drink of water, watch a movie, etc.?  You’ll make better choices ahead of time than in the moment.
  • Get black out blinds- almost everyone sleeps better in a dark room.
  • Use white noise.  Chances are you’ll be sleeping at odd times, possibly when the world around you is up and about (and therefore making noise).  Thus, mask it with white noise and they even have jet lag sound machines.
  • Be patient- you’ll get on track, I promise.

The main thing to keep in mind is to be patient, reasonable, and prepared.

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03
May 2012

Tips for Jet Lag: Part 1

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Tips for Jet Lag

A little help can eliminate tossing and turning and helps you fall asleep naturally.

Are you a frequent flyer?  Even if you just hop from coast to coast, that can be quite a time change that takes your body days to get over.  If you’re traveling for work, being jet lagged is not ideal for business.  Even if you’re traveling for fun, such as for vacation or to visit family, taking days to recover isn’t ideal either.  Essentially, when you fly, losing time is not what anyone wants.

But how can you avoid jet lag and make the most of your time?  There are actually several ways you can reduce jet lag.

  • Many people recommend jet lag reduction pills as a homeopathic option.  You simply swallow the pills every few hours as you fly.  They do not help you sleep at the right times, but they do help you feel better instead of crazy-tired.
  • Sound machines can help more than just at work to tune out noise.  Some sound machines come withjet lag reduction features.  Sound machines like the Night Wave silently guide you in a unique pre-sleep relaxation session in the privacy of your own bedroom with a soft blue light.  The “luminance” of the light slowly rises and falls. Simply lie with eyes open and synchronize your breathing with the blue wave as its movement becomes slower and slower. After a short time, NightWave shuts off and you roll over and fall asleep. And unlike sound machines, the soft light does not disturb others.

Whether you try the pills or the Night Wave, or both, do what you can to beat jet lag so you can be on top of your game at work or on vacation.

 

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01
May 2012

Dealing with Tinnitus

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Ringing in Your Ears

Every so often I hear a distinct ‘ringing in my ears.”  It is infrequent, not painful, but fairly disconcerting, especially when there are no bells around.  It reminds me of when my aunt found out that seeing double wasn’t normal- having always seen two moms, she assumed that was what everyone saw.  Similarly, upon describing this ringing in my right ear to a friend, I assumed she would have experienced it, too.  Oddly enough, she had not, but she did know what it was: tinnitus.  According to the American Tinnitus Association, at least 12 million Americans have tinnitus and 1 million of these experience it so severely that it interferes with their daily activities , such as hearing, working, or sleeping.  While mine was and is a minor inconvenience, it is an inconvenience.  I can only imagine that more severe cases would indeed be debilitating.

Sound Therapy for Tinnitus

You don’t have to to just grin and bear the effects of tinnitus.  If you find yourself frustrated by the ringing and would prefer not to lose sleep or productivity over it, then there is a solution: sound therapy.  Sound therapy is an easy to use, affordable solution for tinnitus that provides relief for any user.  The use of white noise covers the sound spectrum so that you can work or even sleep without the discomfort of tinnitus.  It’s as if the tinnitus has been muted because your brain literally can not process that sound in the midst of the white noise surrounding it.

A common question that frequently arises is how does trading one sound for another solve anything?  Good question.  It may seem counter-intuitive, but white noise covers the sound spectrum in a  peaceful way.  It is not sharp, painful, or even irritating.  It need not be excessively loud to be effective either.  Rather, the very nature of the sound itself provides relief. And if the idea of white noise doesn’t appeal to you, there are plenty of nature sound options available that are even more peaceful, such as a gentle stream, ocean waves, or even a waterfall.

The bottom line is that if tinnitus is affecting your life at all, sound therapy is the most readily available and usable resource you have.  Plus, it’s affordable and many models are portable, making them readily available to travel with you.

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26
Apr 2012

How White Noise Works: Part 2

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How White Noise Works

A couple posts ago, we talked about how white noise works- here’s a brief review:

Like white light is a combination of all the colors of light combined in the visible light spectrum, white noise is a combination of all sound frequencies.  The purpose of white noise is to present so many different sound frequencies that the brain cannot process just one.  This may sound like a bad thing, but its applications are for a reduction of distraction and the establishment of speech privacy.

  • Example #1- Reduce Distractions: Your neighbors are crazy-loud right when you want to go to sleep.  Use a sound machine and tune them out.  {This works for barking dogs, crying babies, honking horns, chirping birds, loud roommates, etc.}
  • Example #2- Establish Speech Privacy: You run a counseling service, but the walls of the building are paper-thin, so you worry others might hear pretty sensitive and personal stuff.  Use sound masking in that area to achieve speech privacy for all involved. {This works for businesses, too.}

How  White Noise Does NOT Work

I think it’s just as important to discuss how white noise does not work.  Let me be the white noise myth buster for you {you’re welcome}.

White Noise Myths:

  1. White noise has to be louder than all other noises to be effective.  This is absolutely not true.  The point of white noise is to mask, or cover, other noises.  This is not the same as drown them out because it is so loud itself.  Instead, the use of all sound frequencies just confuses the brain so that it doesn’t focus its attention on any one noise.  Thus, you can use white noise at a low-level and still have effective results.
  2. White noise has to be a static hum.  Also not true.  White noise can sound like a hum, but it can also simulate nature sounds.
  3. White noise can be used anywhere to mask noise.  Here’s the deal- use a sound machine where you want to mask noise and where the bothered individuals are.  That means you can’t plug in a machine in one room and expect people in another room to enjoy the benefits.  They would need their own.  That’s why a sound masking system {versus a machine} is more helpful for a larger area, as zones can be set up.
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24
Apr 2012

3 Ways Sound Masking Comes to the Rescue in College

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It seems that leaving high school would go hand-in-hand with less drama in your life.  Sadly, college tends to high light inter-personal conflicts, whether among room mates or noisy office dwellers.  Instead of fighting with your best friends/room mates about noise levels, or yelling at your office mates for typing annoyingly loudly, why not try alternative methods?  Sound masking is the art of using noise to cover noise.

What is White Noise

White noise is produced by combining 20,000 different frequencies of sound together. It derives its name from white light in which all the colors of the spectrum are combined. So, instead of pinpointing one distracting noise, your brain focuses on the white noise and filters out the intruding sound.

While some people use fans to simulate white noise, only white noise generators (i.e. sound machines) produce true white noise. The advantage of a sound machine is a smaller size, portability, and volume control. Additionally, most sound machines offer extra features, such as sound therapy (tinnitus), a variety of sound options (nature sounds), and even alarms and timers.

3 Ways Sound Masking Comes to the Rescue

This begs the question, how can sound masking and sound machines help on a college campus?

  1. Sound machines for dorm rooms.  Whether you’re trying to sleep or actually study, nothing is worse than loud roommates or neighbors.  Even quiet roommates who just keep different hours can be frustrating unintentionally.  Having the freedom to turn on a sound machine for some peace and quiet is just that- liberating!
  2. Sound machines for offices.  Often at the graduate level, you have the privilege of getting an office.  Just as often, though, it’s not your own office.  Just like having roommates again, sharing an office when you’re trying to write a thesis or dissertation, or just read your own notes, quickly becomes stressful and potentially relationship-threatening.  Sound machines can’t make your colleagues chat less or do fewer annoying things, but they can help you create a zone of focus around your work space so you can get more done more expediently.
  3. Sound masking for campus buildings.  Many campus buildings could benefit from a good old-fashioned sound masking system.  Actually, while sound masking is in fact a time-tested method, the technology behind modern systems is not at all old.  Sound masking systems can be run at very low levels to provide speech privacy, as well as reduce distractions, as stated above.  This type of system could be beneficial for classrooms, as well as office areas.
Now we’ve chosen to continue school this long, I’ll admit it, but so much of our time has been full of distraction.  I am confident that with less going on around us could and would have cut at least some of our time down.  A great solution would have been sound masking via a system or an individual sound machine.
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19
Apr 2012

How White Noise Works

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I have had some interesting white noise conversations recently, probably because I am writing a white noise blog.  Regardless, while people usually {think they} know what white noise is and how it works, I have found most are a little confused.  Let’s start with a brief description of what white noise is.

What Is White Noise & How Is It Used?

An individual sound machine

Like white light is a combination of all the colors of light combined in the visible light spectrum, white noise is a combination of all sound frequencies.  The purpose of white noise is to present so many different sound frequencies that the brain cannot process just one.  This may sound like a bad thing, but its applications are for a reduction of distraction and the establishment of speech privacy.

  • Example #1- Reduce Distractions: Your neighbors are crazy-loud right when you want to go to sleep.  Use a sound machine and tune them out.  {This works for barking dogs, crying babies, honking horns, chirping birds, loud roommates, etc.}
  • Example #2- Establish Speech Privacy: You run a counseling service, but the walls of the building are paper-thin, so you worry others might hear pretty sensitive and personal stuff.  Use sound masking in that area to achieve speech privacy for all involved. {This works for businesses, too.}

White noise does not have to be noisy itself- usually its application is very low-level so that it is rarely even noticed, much like the hum of an air conditioning system.  Thus, the purpose of white noise is two-fold: you can help people tune out distracting noises so they can sleep or work better, or you can provide a protective barrier for sensitive conversations.  You can use white noise in an individual sound machine or as a system for a larger area.  Either way, white noise is extremely helpful for many individuals and businesses.

Be sure to check back next time to see what white noise is NOT.

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17
Apr 2012

Noisy Neighbors {& what THEY think about US!}

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Every night, week day or weekend, my neighbors crank up their music around 10pm for several hours.  Prior to that we listen to them slamming doors and clunking around.  It’s a bit disconcerting when it sounds like someone is coming into our flat, only to realize it’s next door.  It’s also frustrating to finally be winding down, just to have the college kids crank it up.  In all fairness, though, our lives are simply opposite.  We’re done with college and late nights (that we choose and not centered around sick kids), and we have early mornings.  So, if I were my neighbors writing this, I would say, “Every morning around 5am, I hear that baby crying, and then at 7am, I hear tons of stomping…just when I finally get to sleep, they wake me up!”  I’m the first to say it goes two ways for sure.

That’s just the way life is, isn’t it?  Part of being in a community is dealing with other people, their choices, and not getting angry about it.  It’s just not worth the emotional energy, in my opinion.  However, when I’m trying to get “that baby” to sleep, whether for a nap or at night, or when the big kids need to be able to sleep through the night for school the next day, I tend to stress about excessive noise that keeps them awake and less than pleasant the following morning.  So while I cannot control what my neighbors do (nor can they control our noise), I can take charge in my own home and how we manage less than ideal distractions, especially when trying to sleep.  We use sound machines.  Not every night and not in every room, but where and when it’s necessary to block noisy neighbors, we turn those bad boys on and we sleep.  Such a quick, relatively cheap, and stress-free remedy to a very common problem.

If noisy neighbors are getting you down and keeping you from going to sleep, try a sound machine- it’s easy to turn on and just s easy not to use when not needed.

 

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