Too Quiet or Too Loud

Sometimes you just want everyone and everything to shut up. And sometimes the silence is somehow unbearable. Our brains can be picky about what and how much they process, and what goes into our ears can be especially distracting.

You would notice whether you’re the type of person who tends to prefer loudness or who tends to prefer quietness, but we all need or want both at intervals, to some extent. It depends on who we are, how we’re wired, but it also immensely depends on what kind of activity we’re currently partaking in or trying to participate in. Are sounds contributing and cooperating or are they interrupting and jolting you out of what you’re doing? Furthermore, are they precisely the kind of sounds that fit the scenario?

Amazingly, sound, or the absence of it, can play an outstandingly important role in how productive we are and what we manage to produce.  

Is it dialogue, melodies, or noise? Are they jumbled together dissonantly, forcing your brain to attempt to break them apart, or are they harmoniously blending with each other, letting your brain swiftly shift through and take in the various layers? Is it so loud it hurts or is it so quiet you strain, in both cases failing to hear what is happening exactly? What can you simply ignore?

• Dialogue is engaging. If the activity you’re partaking in involves verbal or logical tasks, like writing or math, you might not do well with talking on the side or in the background. Hearing words forming sentences can keep you from doing that yourself, but they are the complement to when you’re on ‘autopilot’, in a ‘trance’, or simply taking care of menial and tedious tasks you already know too well.

• Melodies are energetic. When chosen well, they can join you even when you have to think about hard and difficult matters and issues. They can be soothing, inspiring, empowering, and, indeed, energizing. It can direct you, if not merely give you the bit of stimuli that you would otherwise crave.

• Noise is impactful. They could be no more than disturbing. But in certain cases, they might serve to block out what's worse and allow you to focus. White noise, the fan, water running, and so on. 

• Absolute silence leaves you defenseless. Then it’s only you and what you carry with you. Can you listen to that? If you have a lot going on within that you’re willing to sort out, it would not bother you. You might not even notice it. Up until you’re done - and then yearn to fill it.

Have you figured out what you should be filling the silence with? Did you look into podcasts or audiobooks that could interest you? Made playlists of music with or without lyrics? Set up congenial noises to run constantly? Don’t underestimate the effect that they can have - especially when picked out specifically for this or that purpose.

Lastly, should you soundproof where you are?