Thread: How do you handle noise?

Are you sensitive to noise? Perhaps even insensitive? When such a disturbance occurs, what do you do to deal with that? While I'm usually able to ignore annoyances from other people, I believe I've always been more sensitive to noise than most. If there's too much of it I can't focus on anything. People may find it strange that I nearly always listen to music at a low volume, though that probably relates to how I usually use music to mellow out.

A month or two back I talked about how groundworks were having a real impact on my daily living. Due to the coronavirus they ceased their activities (it was some energy-saving shit and them milking the last of the EU's funding before that well dries up next year) up until very recently. I wasn't prepared to live like the ultimate night owl again so I got noise-cancelling headphones. Fortunately they're extremely good so I shouldn't be having trouble for the next few months they'll be here.

I do wonder how it must be to have the ability to just switch that part of me off and be able to function completely with higher levels of noise. Conversely, I think it must be a total pain to struggle with what some may call a "deafening silence".

I have to sleep with my earbuds in and playing a fan sound through my iPod all night or I will wake up to all sorts of sounds. I am a very light sleeper.

Day to day, I don't like loud sounds or music. I get migraines from it. I never liked going to the movies or concerts for this reason.

As for annoying sounds, they tend to only bother me when it keeps happening. Like people clearing their throats, smacking their mouths when chewing gum, or sucking their fingers after eating. All are very annoying sounds but most of the time I block them out.

Little update. I wrote the thread on the day I got the headphones so the praise I gave them was quite cursory. On that day, by the time I got the headphones the workers were going home. It was only since the following day I was able to truly test them. I didn't actually realise how well they performed because I almost never noticed noise throughout the day. They got full use but I hadn't charged them since my purchase (and they came with charge less than half-full) so I left them on charge overnight.

Holy hell, the noise the next morning. I quickly grabbed those cans and just like that... those 100+ decibels, vanished. It's been a few more days since and I've completely forgotten about the noise levels. So if noise ever becomes a really big deal, they're not cheap but I definitely think they're worth the investment.

Originally Posted by KorinKitty

Like people clearing their throats, smacking their mouths when chewing gum, or sucking their fingers after eating. All are very annoying sounds but most of the time I block them out.

Oh man, food-related sounds. I'm a bit like you there. Most of the time it doesn't bother me. There are just a few in particular. One would be ice lollies. Popsicles to the Americans of the board. Great snacks but I can't stand those who eat them like they're making love to them. God damn it people, did you ever realise that it's possible to simply bite/break some off the end and eat it like that, bit by bit? People don't need to lather their iced treats with slobber!

I am absolutely sensitive to noise. I have ADHD where I hyper focus in things. And if I'm in certain large crowds, I get really stressed fairly quickly. The worst is in restaurants or places with multiple groups of people. But not concerts or movies. I think it's because if I'm at a restaurant, there isnt any one thing to focus on, so my mind tries to focus on every conversation at once, and I get overwhelmed. But at a concert or a movie, I can focus on the singer or the film and I'll be perfectly fine.
But a really good way I've found to deal with it is to just go to the bathroom. Since they have to be a certain distance away from food and people, and they have rather large doors, the sound is usually drowned out fairly well.
As for total silence, I'm ok with that unless I'm trying to sleep. Because my mind races with multiple thoughts and just will not shut the fuck up. Whst I've found works is either classical music of Soundscapes. So I'll use my Kindle or phone and have that playing.

Originally Posted by KorinKitty

As for annoying sounds, they tend to only bother me when it keeps happening. Like people clearing their throats, smacking their mouths when chewing gum, or sucking their fingers after eating. All are very annoying sounds but most of the time I block them out.

Yes. Yes. Absolutely, positootly YES. I hate those kinds of sounds. People chewing with their mouths open, smacking their lips, and especially slurping a drink. I cannot stand those sounds. I always want to slap the people that do that, but j feel my friends wouldn't appreciate that, and I'd be fired if I did it to my coworkers lol.

I can't stand background noise most of the time, especially when I'm trying to sleep. Intermittent noises are the worst like birds, a fire alarm chirp, when somebody leaves food in the microwave and it beeps every 30 seconds...drives me crazy.

Originally Posted by Zemekis

I can't stand background noise most of the time, especially when I'm trying to sleep. Intermittent noises are the worst like birds, a fire alarm chirp, when somebody leaves food in the microwave and it beeps every 30 seconds...drives me crazy.

I am this way with clocks. You know those battery operated clocks with the hands that always make ticking sounds? I had a few of those, ended up having to take the batteries out. If it is quiet enough to hear them, they drive me nuts.

I have tried sleeping with earplugs, changing mattresses, taking over-the-counter sleep aids. Nothing bothers me more than being jerked awake 4 or 5 houirs before I'm supposed to wake up. Chalk it up to getting older - or living with a roommate who's an early bird - but I haven't had quality sleep for the longest time. Noise-cancelling headphones seem like a good thought, but I'm afflicted with the curse of sleeping on my stomach. I may try putting my box fan over on my headboard to get some more ambient noise by my head. Otherwise, I'm at a loss.