One thing that could be stealing your attention

One thing that could be stealing your attention

In episode 57, Andrew goes over a list of protocols to improve our workspace for better performance. General things like good posture, strong lighting, less distractions, etc. But there's one thing that most of us don't realize affects us.

When there's ongoing sound, your auditory system hears that, even if you're not paying attention to it, if you're paying attention to something else, it still registers... And there's a brain stem mechanism that generates alertness and a kind of vigilance (to be on the lookout for danger). - AH

Firstly, the studies show no preference to whether you should work in a completely quiet environment or one with some sounds going on. Typical library or coffee shop noise are typically fine. It truly depends on what you like and how you're feeling. Sometimes you want calmness. Other times you want some activation. But, there is a type of background noise that's harming your cognition.

​This study shows that loud workplace and environmental noise, especially the humming of air conditioners and heaters, increase mental fatigue and significantly decrease cognitive performance. Exposure to this noise also damages the auditory system and impair performance in the long-term - not just during work.

So what can you do with this? Of course, it’s better if you don’t hear them. But if you live in a loud city and/or loud office environment, it's not all under your control. So, you can try noise-cancelling headphones or listen to other things like music or binaural beats while working. Andrew covers those later in the episode if you want to check it out.

What about white noise and other stuff like it, isn't that helpful? Well, they can help you increase alertness when you’re slacking too much. You could use them for 45-60 minutes until you're focused enough... then remove them. They do not improve performance.

In summary, annoying background noises decrease your cognitive performance in the short and long term. They can only help increase some alertness if needed.

Andrew discusses this and other workspace-related tools in this episode.