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Sound Masking for Nursery & Day Care Facilities

December 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Sound Masking for 

Kids are loud.  There’s no getting around it.  Whether they’re at home or at play, kids make a ton of noise.  They cry, they scream, they laugh too loud, they tattle, they make believe…they’re wonderful, but they’re loud.  And anyone who has ever spent time with them knows it.  Keeping kids calm and getting them to sleep well is challenging enough with home court advantage.  It gets even harder in nurseries and day care centers because there are numerous kids to balance, all of whom have different needs at different times.

Keeping kids calm and well-rested is extraordinarily challenging in group settings.  That’s where sound masking can really help.  It’s not that these facilities need to boost their productivity like the average place of business, but they do need to cover noise all the same.    Babies and toddlers often cry a lot, while older children have more sophisticated means of being heard, such as yelling or screaming.  Whatever class or facility it is and whatever reason the kids are being loud, the volume level can be quite distracting for other children and certainly for younger kids still needing to nap.

A great solution is a facility-wide sound masking system that employs white noise through speakers in the ceiling.  It can be added to any facility without any aesthetic change.  The result is that a little background noise covers a lot of kid noise so whoever needs to can relax and even fall asleep {and stay asleep!} for a decent amount of time.  If a sound masking system is not in your future, the next best thing is a sound machine for the sleeping areas.  The same principles apply, just on a smaller scale and in a plug-in format.
If noise is a problem for your day care or nursery, give sound masking a shot for improved nap times and more relaxed children.
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5 Reasons You Need a Sound Machine

October 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There are many irritations in life.  For me, one of the more frustrating irritations is noise, unwanted noise.  It may sound silly, but I have 2 children, one on the way, and I am surrounded by noise all the time by the nature of my role as mother.  I find by the end of the day, the last thing I want is to hear my neighbor’s dog or passers-by on the street.  I can’t even tolerate loud movies or music.  My ears are just too tired.  Thus, I am a huge fan of sound masking technology and everything to do with it.  Interestingly, for sound masking to work properly, you have to add noise to deal with all the unwanted noise.  Counter-intuitive to be sure.  However, sound masking focuses on covering unwanted noise with white noise which uses a diversity of sound from the sound spectrum.  The result is that the brain can’t focus on one specific irritating sound and is freed from its irritation.

5 Ways to Use Sound Masking

1. For work. The average worker (including you!) is distracted up to 2 hours every day.  This distraction usually comes in the form of conversational distraction.  Thus, an individual sound machine on your desk (or even this free online generator) is great for tuning out this kind of noise. Better yet, sound masking throughout the office space can provide this benefit to the entire office.

2. For sleep. This is one of my favorite ways to use white noise.  I hate lying in bed, listening to the wind howl or car doors slam on the street. Using a sound machine next to your bed will mask the annoying sounds from neighbors or street noise, helping you sleep better and stay asleep with fewer interruptions.

3. For kids. Sound machines can work wonders with kid’s sensitive sleep schedules. Maybe your children are sharing a room for the first time, or you want them to easily sleep through the noise of your dinner party. White noise can ensure good, uninterrupted sleep for your little ones, which means better sleep for you, too.

4. For relaxation. After a long day at work, you want to come home to relax and unwind, but a barking dog across the street is interrupting your reverie. You can relax to the sounds of nature found on many household sound machines. Enjoy the sound of the sea as you sit down to read a good book.

5. For tinnitus. Ringing in your ears, also known as tinnitus can be very distracting and uncomfortable. The irritation caused by tinnitus can be lessened though the use of sound therapy, letting you relax.

A sound machine provides a more focused environment, free of intrusive and distracting noise. This can increase your productivity at work, or provide you with a more restful night’s sleep. Sound masking can also be utilized throughout a open office space to provide better productivity and confidentiality for everyone. Try sound masking for yourself, and begin enjoying the benefits of improved concentration and better sleep!

 

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The Cost of Interruptions

July 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Being interrupted seems to be a part of life- whether at work or relaxing, someone wants or needs to speak to you or the phone rings or you overhear a conversation that distracts you.  That doesn’t even include all the times we distract and interrupt ourselves, especially online!  How many times are you in the middle of a brilliant {or at least legitimate} thought and you see that you have a new email or Facebook message?  As important as it is to see who just got a new pony in Farmville, will that fantasy farming really pay off at the end of the day?

On average, each worker experienced an interruption/distraction every 3 minutes!  Thus, it’s important to take toll of how and why you’re distracted at work and what you can do about it.

What Caused the Distractions?

A recent study looked at interruptions in the work place, what caused them, and what the results were.  This study found that most people suffered from both internal and external interruptions, meaning that they interrupted themselves and were also victims of outside interruptions.

How Long Did It Take to Get Back On Task?

Besides the shocking number of interruptions, this study took the time to note how long it took a worker to get back on task after each interruption.  As you doubtless know, a distraction outlives its actual moment- your mind processes what just happened and tends to linger before getting back on track, if it ever fully does.  In this particular study, it was found that there are normally 2 intervening tasks before focusing on the original task.  As a result, it takes more effort to reorient oneself to the context of that original task.  One part of this is that many interruptions are accompanied by one or more physical changes to the work environment.  Whether the worker shifted files, opened or closed windows, shot out a quick email, or answered a phone call as a result of the interruption (or interruptor), the physical layout of the work space has been altered, which also makes it difficult to get back on task quickly.  

What can you do about interruptions?

The bottom line is that every worker is surrounded by interruptions caused both by self and others.  It’s difficult to control for internal interruptions, but you can control for external interruptions.  A more recent development has been the use of office sound masking, the use of low-level white noise to cover office noise (i.e. unnecessary interruptions and distractions).  The result is less distraction, more focus, fewer errors, and lower stress levels.

While many interruptions are a necessary evil in the office, it’s equally important to recognize the strain they put on workers, as well as the hit productivity takes.  Many workers find that using a sound machine helps them tune out the unnecessary distractions.

 

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White Noise can Increase Productivity at Work

June 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Do you find it hard to concentrate at work? The average worker loses over two hours a day because of distractions and interruptions at work. Here are some helpful tips to help reduce the distractions around you and increase your productivity at work.

Prioritize your day every morning by listing out your most important tasks or projects. Start your day by working on a high priority task while you are fresh and motivated. Don’t allow lesser tasks like e-mail take up more time than they warrant. Accomplishing something at the very start of the day can help boost your confidence and improve your attitude about your work day.

Use white noise to block excess office noise, instead of wasting time and energy trying to block the extra conversations around us. If you have never used white noise, try out this free white noise generator to see you find it helpful at work.  With white noise, the interruptive sounds and distracting discussions fade into the background.

Eliminate self-inflicted distractions! A recent study found that people tend to distract themselves at work as often as others distract them. Try turning off your self-distractions, such as email or phones, and turn on a personal sound machine to block surround noise. Spend 30 to 60 minutes focusing solely on a high priority task. At the end of your time, take a short break to check email and then get back to your distraction-free work.

Stand up and walk around when you start to feel stiff or struggle with concentration. A little movement can relieve muscle strain and increase blood circulation to the brain. A study at USC recently found that standing can increase brain function by 5% to 20%. Dehydration can also decrease your productivity by more than 20 percent, so have a drink of water on your break.

You can learn to accomplish more during a work day by eliminating. Start by using a white noise machine to block removing the time-consuming distractions and office conversations. Try taking a break from email and phone calls for a while and turn on some white noise to help you concentrate.  At the end of the day you will feel less stressed, more productive and able to leave on time for a relaxing evening.



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Nature Sounds vs. Nature {& Why Sound Machines Work}

June 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Nature vs. Nature Sounds

The other night, I contemplated not using my trusty sound machine.  We have quit using one in our daughter’s room because she is finally old enough and a sound enough sleeper that noise doesn’t bother her too much.  So, I thought maybe I would give it a go, too.  All went well the first night.  The second night, however, proved to be quite different.  As I was pulling the curtains closed and preparing to hop in bed, the loudest imaginable wind I have ever heard whipped through our not so well insulated house.  It shook the windows and made for a breezy good-night {and incidentally tore down huge trees and wreaked havoc throughout the city}.  I tried, I really did, to not turn on my sound machine, but when push came to shove, or in this case, when the wind practically whipped through my room, I just couldn’t resist.

The funny thing is that my sound machine comes equipped with nature sounds.  You would think that trading actual nature for simulated nature sounds would not be effective.  However, I will say that simulated nature sounds provide a great background for sleeping, whereas actual nature is preferable for an outdoor experience.  That’s because real nature varies and is inconsistent by nature {pun intended}; nature sounds , by design, are uniform and cover the sound spectrum for the purpose of covering or masking unwanted sounds.  That’s why white nose works- it actually allows the brain to tune out unpleasant or distracting noise{s} so you can work more efficiently, or in this case, sleep more soundly.

So, I have come to a place in my adult life in which I don’t need sound masking to sleep, but I really appreciate having a sound machine as an option for those times when external noises keep my brain going.  I often opt to use my sound machine for naps since they’re during the day and most of the world around me is still going.  Yet, at night,  I just use it when I can’t sleep because of street noise, a dog barking, or in this case, the howling wind.

If you struggle to fall asleep or sleep soundly through the night, you might also benefit from a sound machine.

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White Noise in Hospitals

May 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

So often I write of sound masking, or the use of white noise to cover unwanted sounds, in the context of noisy offices {see blog title} or even for working and sleeping at home.  It is a subject near and dear to my heart as we have employed some form of sound masking for at least 5 years as our family has expanded.

What caught my attention today, though, is an article a friend sent me about the use of white noise in a Texas NICU {Newborn Intensive Care Unit} for the preemies.  The NICU staff have found that excessive noise bothers the tiny infants.

“Studies have shown over the last 20 years that exposure to high amounts of noise in premature babies is associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcomes,” explained Dr. Alex Kenton, medical director of the unit.

When our babies’ precious futures are at stake, there is little we are not willing to do.  Thus, the staff there has sensors for when noise exceeds 55 decibels, as well as posted signs to remind staff and visitors to be quiet.  In addition, they have installed rubber floors and and special ceiling tiles to help absorb inevitable noise.  Finally, the unit installed a sound masking unit which hums quietly but covers intrusive noise.

The whooshing, wind-like sound mutes conversations and acts as a sort of buffer.
“It goes unnoticed,” stated Rebecca Notgrass, the patient access director. “If you’re not listening for it and you don’t know what it is, you really don’t know that you’re listening to it.”

Once again, white noise to the rescue!  What a great idea- so many people think that babies can sleep through anything, and often they can.  But as the aforementioned study stated, too much noise {like that found in a bustling hospital} can stunt neurological growth.  Why not give our newborns, especially those who need intensive care, every shot we can?

Sound masking can be used for noisy offices and better sleep, but it can also be used in hospitals and NICUs for better neurological development.

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Using White Noise Against Unwanted Noise

May 20, 2011 By 1 Comment

Staying Focused at Work

It’s no surprise that people get distracted at work- we all do.  Sometimes we’re thinking about our children or mentally planning a vacation…or maybe we’re paying bill online or just day dreaming.  Those are our own distractions.  Interestingly, these internal distractions are not nearly as detrimental to our productivity as external distractions, such as co-worker gossip and other conversational distractions.  In fact, most workers lose more than 2 hours of productivity to distraction, namely conversational distraction.

Thus, it’s not a huge jump to say that distracted workers are not as productive as focused ones.  They are disengaged, thinking about other things, listening to water cooler gossip, taking part in discussions, bets, and stories being passed around.  Even when they want to be focused, they are held captive by other people’s noise, including all their gadgets and exotic ring tones….oh, well, yes, they’re held prey by their own gadgetry as well. Who doesn’t drop what they’re doing when a text beeps in or your cell phone rings?

Using Noise Against Noise

Pretty simple, yet a difficult problem.  You can’t exactly tell people, “Stop being distracted….And quit answering your phone.”  If only it were that easy.  However, there is an easy solution: sound machines.  By using a little white noise and even nature sounds you can tune out a lot of superfluous noise and distraction.  Basically white noise serves as a weapon against unwanted sound- it presents a consistent sound that covers the entire sound spectrum so that unwanted noises don’t penetrate.  You can use standard white noise that sounds like fan, or there are tons of nature sounds to choose from.  And, interestingly enough, the extra noise you’re adding with your little machine is just enough to help cover the unwanted sounds without proving to be a distraction itself.  The result is that you can actually focus on work and not on what the cubicle next to you is doing.

If office noise is keeping you from being productive, try this free online white noise generator or upgrade to your own sound machine so you can reclaim your lost time at work.

 

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Is Your office THE Office?

April 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Working in the Office

Have you ever watched an entire episode of the Office?  I am guessing yes.  But I am also guessing that you’ve never watched it through the lens of someone trying to get work done.  Take me, for example.  I am trying to work from home while my husband wants to unwind from his day and watch the Office.  I feel like I might as well be in the world of Michael Scott.  I am wrapped up in the feud between Jim and Dwight, I hate Packer, and I am torn between laughter and frustration for the entire half hour.

The good thing is that I can shake it off after 30 minutes and get back to work.  Unlike the real workers of the Office, or any office for that matter.  In fact, the average office worker is distracted more than 2 hours every day- as you watch the Office play out in your life, you can see how easily that 2 hours is snatched from you.  Sometimes you play an active role in your own distraction, but more often that not, you are simply a semi-innocent by-stander of office noise: co-worker chatter and gossip, even conflicts, machine whirring, sales calls, and even irregular typing.

The Problem with the Office

The funny thing about it is that it’s not funny at all.  Unlike a comedic sit-com, your own, real-life office distractions and shenanigans are frustrating and debilitating.  That’s because we have work to do at work- as fun as it might be to while away a few minutes, or even hours, deadlines are deadlines and work has to get done.

Because of rising stress levels and diminishing productivity, many workers have turned to sound machines.  The use of white noise is a highly effective method of covering unwanted noises.  It works by adding structured noise to the background that causes the brain to tune out the unstructured, unwanted noise.  People use it for work and for better sleep.

if office noise is proving to be a distraction for you and takes away from your productivity, then try a sound machine to block the unwanted noise.

{photo credit}

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If You Don’t Ask, The Answer is Always No

August 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

As I was perusing one of the blogs I read, I came across a link to a very helpful article.  This gentleman has adopted as one of his mottos the phrase, “if you don’t ask, the answer is always no.”  I have heard this before, but this time it really made me start thinking. I am always so hesitant to ask people things because I don’t want to inconvenience them or I don’t want anything to be awkward–even if I don’t know the person I am asking and will most likely never see them again.

I also started thinking about how this might relate to you. How could you use this to help yourself be less distracted by your coworkers and more able to focus? I thought of a few ways.

  • Tell your boss you are having difficulty concentrating due to all the conversational distraction and ask for help in this area. You could mention how beneficial sound masking has been in other places. Perhaps your boss didn’t even realize how big of a problem it is.
  • Nicely ask your coworkers to please not disturb you. This could be done in person or with a sign on your cubicle or on the front of your desk. A funny sign can get the point across without being offensive. (Passive-aggressiveness pays off sometimes!) Perhaps your coworkers don’t know that their constant chatter is really bothering you.
  • Are there other things keeping your from being able to concentrate besides your noisy coworkers? Sometimes changing the way your desk is set up so that it is more ergonomically correct can help to get rid of all those aches you get from sitting in front of a computer all day. Its hard to concentrate when your shoulders are killing you. You might want to ask your boss for a better chair or a different keyboard to help with this.

So, what is keeping you from a less stressful and more productive day? It might be just a simple question to the right person.

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White Noise for Realtors

April 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The McCord Real Estate Team

Taking a Personal Interest in their Clients

My mom and dad are successful realtors in Dallas, TX.  My mom started real estate while my dad was still building houses, so I have watched her top the charts time and again and have marveled at how well she did even solo.  I believe her success is a result of her loyalty, friendliness, and faithfulness.  Each client feels taken care of from looking at the first house to closing day and beyond.  That’s because she takes a personal interest in their needs and wants, and she works hard to ensure they get exactly what they want at a price they can afford.  And now that my dad brings his construction expertise to the team, they are quite the dynamic duo.

Why she left her office

Recently we had an interesting conversation about why she left her real estate office and started officing from home.  The main reason was that she felt she couldn’t serve her clients well from her noisy office for the following reasons:

  • Distraction- too much office noise was distracting while she tried to work or make calls.
  • Overheard Personal Information- she didn’t want other agents or passers-by to overhear her personal information as she made calls.
  • Competing agents- there were times that the agent on the other side of a deal she was negotiating was present in the office.  The last thing she wanted was for that agent to hear her confirming a seller’s bottom price or a buyer’s top price.
  • Lack of professionalism- similar to distraction, ambient office noise in the background does not sound personal and professional to a client on the other end of a call or in a meeting at the office.

As a result, she moved her office home to batter take care of her clients.  However, it may be that you don’t have that luxury.  Perhaps your home is not large enough to house an office, or perhaps you have to work at an office because it’s more convenient for your clients.  Or maybe it’s just too expensive to buy all the equipment you need to work from home successfully, or maybe you simply aren’t productive enough when faced with home distractions.

White Noise

Whatever the case may be, an alternative solution for office noise is white noise.  White noise is basically a low-level background sound that helps your brain block out competing sounds so that it can focus on one task, one conversation, or one person at a time without becoming distracted.  In the case of clients, white noise can help them stay focused and not overwhelmed by all the background clattering while they are trying to negotiate a deal.  Furthermore, when white noise in employed office-wide (like in the case of sound masking) provides security since all parties can talk freely without fear of being overheard.

My mom has received the customer service award office-wide 5 times for a reason- she cares about her clients as if they’re family.  So, whatever it takes to make them feel personally cared for and protected is worth it to her.  Maybe you feel the same way.  Try this free white noise generator to see if it’s a fit for your style of business.

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