This process is called masking and is the same principle used for noise-canceling headphones and some other products.įor example, if you’ve got a TV, radio, and a fan on all at the same time can you tell the sounds apart? No, and that’s the basic principle behind how they work. Instead, the distracting noises around you at work will no longer be noticed by your brain and you won’t be distracted by them. This works because our brains can’t tell a widely mixed range of sounds apart – there’s just too much audio information to process. This effectively means you’ll never hear them and it’s as if they’re eliminated.Īs long as the noise in question (for example, a machine nearby or coworkers talking) has a volume level that’s about the same or less than the volume of the white noise the sound will be effectively eliminated. White noise machines work by creating sound patterns that mask or cover up, unwanted noise. It’s a great way to solve the aggravating problem of distractions. When the nearby sound at your workplace or cubicle is equal to or less than the volume blocked by the white noise you’ll no longer notice it. This means that the sound they produce can cover up (and effectively block) distracting sounds. Sounds machines produce white noise of different types that cover a wide range in the audio spectrum.

While many people often use small fans for the same purpose, white noise machines are better as they’re able to provide a wider variety of sounds to help you relax. While that’s great when you are outdoors or doing different activities, when you’re working it can be a real nuisance as you’ll lose productivity and feel more and more stressed. Many are small enough to be easily packed in a backpack or travel bag.īecause of how the human brain works, outside sound naturally causes us to divert our attention away from what we’re doing. They’re also excellent for use at home or while traveling on the job as well.

A great alternative for inconvenient fans.

They help with attention & concentration problems.

Putting you in a better, low-stress mood.

Eliminating distracting background sounds.

Sound machines (white noise machines) are great when you need privacy at work: Believe me, I’ve definitely been very bothered by these in the past, so I know exactly how it feels!īecause of this, I’ve learned exactly how beneficial white noise machines are and I use them regularly. It’s a bit difficult to concentrate when there are coworkers around you making sounds from talking, eating, coughing, and many other annoying sounds. Like many people out there, I’m easily distracted while at work and find the gentle, constant sounds of a fan or other noise source to be helpful. White noise machine benefitsĭon’t resort to extremes to get privacy! White noise machines are a non-intrusive way to protect your personal and business-related conversations. For the purposes of this post, although many noise machines produce brown noise (or other sounds), I’ll refer to it as white noise as is commonly done. These other color names are used to describe sound patterns of different types. Note: The term “white noise” is sometimes confused with and used interchangeably with brown noise or pink noise, which aren’t the same. A great example is client meetings where a company speaks privately in a quiet room with professionals about sensitive personal matters or confidential information. It has many uses, and they’re especially important for areas where privacy and focus are needed.

White noise, however, is produced over the entire range of audio your ears and brain can interpret. Noises you may hear every day like coworkers talking, outdoor sounds, music, and more are produced in a limited range of audio frequencies. Because of this, it’s capable of covering up sounds that would distract you or cause problems at work otherwise. White noise has some wonderful uses but it’s sometimes confused or misunderstood.īasically, white noise is the production of audio frequencies over the entire range of human hearing. It’s also used in other areas of science, although for most people it’s simply a large combination of sound frequencies that can block out unwanted noise. ★ 5 great white noise machines for office and cubicle privacy ★Ī graph showing the range of sound that makes up what we call “white noise.” Basically, it’s a way of describing a range of sounds of nearly equal volume that cover a large range your ears can hear.How many white noise machines should I get?.

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