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On the benefits of background noise, or How to work with birdsong
On the benefits of background noise, or How to work with birdsong
Anonim

Are you familiar with the Pomodoro technique? Its idea is to split the work into intervals of 25 minutes. Pomodoro proponents only use mechanical timers that are sure to tick. In the age of smartphones and mp3 players, this seems silly, but the effect is there. The ticking timer creates a monotonous background noise that encourages creativity. Why this happens and where to choose the right noise - this is what this article will discuss.

The benefits of background noise, or How to work with birdsong
The benefits of background noise, or How to work with birdsong

Not so long ago we wrote about. Unfortunately, I never managed to concentrate on a task while listening to music. I am using background noise for this. For example, right now my kitchen timer is ticking. This is the first Pomodoro launched. Are you familiar with the Pomodoro technique? Its idea is to split the work into intervals of 25 minutes. Pomodoro proponents only use mechanical timers that are sure to tick. In the age of smartphones and mp3 players, this seems silly, but the effect is there. The ticking timer creates a monotonous background noise that encourages creativity. Why this happens and where to choose the right background noise - this is what this article will discuss.

A bit of science

We used to think that silence is best for mental activity. But this is not the case. Scientists from the University of Chicago found in the course that the average noise level improves the creative thought process. Think about it, medium noise is better for creative work than silence or loud noise. It is important that the noise is monotonous.

The most comfortable conditions are not at all the most productive.

You may have already guessed about this. For example, an employee who decides to work in a cafe, and not in an office, kills two birds with one stone. Firstly, it removes the distraction in the form of colleagues, and secondly, it uses the even noise of the cafe.

Where to listen

If you want to experiment with background noise, then I recommend paying attention to one of the services below. They each have their own iOS app. I experimented with each of these sites for a couple of days. I will give a description of them in the order of my personal sympathy.

noisli.com

Noisli - background noise and color generator for working and relaxing
Noisli - background noise and color generator for working and relaxing

On the site you can select one of the sounds as background noise:

  • rain;
  • storm;
  • wind;
  • Birdsong;
  • falling foliage;
  • Creek;
  • sea;
  • water;
  • bonfire;
  • a cafe;
  • Railway;
  • fan;
  • White noise;
  • pink noise;
  • brown noise.

You can mix several sounds together if you like. There is no possibility to download mp3. All sounds are turned on using icons, and the volume of each is adjusted separately. On the right side there is a background noise on / off icon and a button for text. You can type something right in the browser under the background noise and download the resulting text.

simplynoise.com

SimplyNoise - The Best Free White Noise Generator on the Internet
SimplyNoise - The Best Free White Noise Generator on the Internet

The second online generator is this. It reminded me strongly of RainyCafe, which has already been reviewed on Lifehacker.

  • White noise;
  • pink noise;
  • brown noise.

They can be defined strictly mathematically, but you better listen to them yourself.

There are interesting things on simplynoise.com - timer and volume fluctuations. The timer can be used for the Pomodoro technique, and applying volume variation to synthetic noise makes it more natural.

mynoise.net

Ultimate Rain Sound Generator Hearing Calibrated
Ultimate Rain Sound Generator Hearing Calibrated

The last generator in this roundup is mynoise.net. The idea is excellent, it turned out to be a whole sound generator. You can make the noise you like yourself and even download it. Only here the design let us down - it turned out too tricky. The site is best suited for creating background noise for meditation, but not for concentrating at work. It's too easy to get carried away with playing with settings. But who knows, maybe this option will suit you best.

Outcomes

The variety of options for creating background noise does not end there. There are many applications for phones, there are collections of mp3-files with ready-made sound. Experiment and remember that sooner or later your brain will get used to any background. As a result, concentration and creativity will decrease. In this case, change the background to something new. I like the mixture of birdsong, wind and river. What do you choose?

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