Whether you’re working from home or in some sort of personal office space, ambiance matters. Creating a space where you feel calm yet productive is the key to keeping your body, mind, and spirit in check. That means keeping your space tidy, choosing images and colors that feel uplifting, and of course, controlling your background noise.
It’s common to want more than just complete silence, but working with too much overstimulating background noise, like the television or music, can send your brain into overdrive. Your environment really shapes your inner world, especially when we’re working or creating, and your subconscious will thank you for making mindful choices when it comes to noise pollution. From sound bowls to nature sounds, to classical jazz, here are some alternatives that can put your brain in a calm and productive state.
Protecting Your Subconscious
The sounds that fill your space are doing much more than just fading into the background. They’re quietly impacting your mood, focus, and overall stress levels, even when you don’t directly feel it. What your subconscious ingests throughout the day influences your heart rate, brainwave patterns, and even your hormonal balance. Sure, music and podcasts are fun. But when things are lyrically dense, sonically overpowering, or just downright a lot, you can be feeding too much into your brain and putting stress on your nervous system. Chaotic, overly stimulating noise and constant media can keep your nervous system on edge, while intentional sound environments help your body regulate, your mind focus, and your creativity flow.
7 Alternatives for Healthy Noise Pollution
Rather than put your brain and nervous system into overdrive, there are plenty of alternatives that can actually feed your body some feel-good chemicals. Choosing background noise consciously is like setting energetic boundaries for your brain, empowering you to decide what kind of mental and emotional atmosphere you want to live in.
Jazz Music
Whether it’s classical jazz or smooth jazz, the genre’s structure stimulates the brain without overwhelming it. Its improvisational rhythms encourage creative thinking and problem-solving, making it perfect for tasks that require both logic and imagination. Instrumentation like the sax or piano also calms the nervous system, creating a relaxed yet alert mental state.
Sound Bowls
Ready for your brain and body to vibrate? Crystal or Tibetan sound bowls create harmonic frequencies that resonate with the body’s natural energy centers. These vibrations can help calm the parasympathetic nervous system, reduce anxiety, and even synchronize brainwaves to a meditative state. There are plenty of sound bowl videos that run for hours on YouTube and streaming services, and listening while working can encourage a deep calm, emotional clarity, and spiritual balance.
ASMR
Okay, so it may sound silly, but if you know, you know. ASMR, which stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, uses gentle auditory triggers like whispers, tapping, or soft movements to activate a relaxation response in the brain. It can lower cortisol, soothe anxiety, and enhance focus by drawing your attention into the present moment. Explore the world to find out what kind of ASMR you respond well to and give it a try in your workspace.
White Noise
If the babies love it, it’s worth a try. White noise works like an auditory blanket, masking distracting sounds and creating a steady hum that your brain can tune into. If you’re in a noisy environment you can’t escape from, white noise in your headphones can be a game-changer. This consistency helps you focus longer and can even improve cognitive endurance.
Affirmations
Why not tune up in your inner world and emotionally uplift yourself while working? Positive affirmations spoken rhythmically or musically can subtly rewire the subconscious mind. There are plenty of Black creators on YouTube and TikTok that create soothing affirmation videos attuned to your specific needs, whether it be self-love or tapping into an abundance mindset. When played in the background, they reinforce beliefs of worthiness and capability without demanding active attention. Over time, this consistent exposure can actually shift your self-perception.
Nature Sounds
There’s nothing more calming than the sound of rainfall, ocean waves, and birdsong. Nature sounds have been proven to reduce stress and restore cognitive balance. They mimic the earth’s natural frequencies, signaling safety and peace to the nervous system. These sounds enhance focus while gently reminding your body to stay relaxed and present.
Binaural Beats
Lastly, binaural beats are a game-changer. They use two slightly different frequencies in each ear to synchronize brainwaves with specific mental states, like alpha waves for relaxation, beta for focus, or theta for creativity. They’re essentially sonic tools for tuning your mind to the exact energy you need to sustain throughout your workday. Choose whichever brainwaves align with the work task at hand and watch your mind and body align.