How to Write While Coping with Noise from Your Neighbors
7 Actionable tips for sticking with your writing goals regardless of the noise
Noise from the neighbors can cut your focus and peace of mind and, as a result, also hurt your writing. If you are here, you probably know how annoying and distracting it can be to face noise from the neighbors.
So, how the heck should you write while hearing this noise? Writing is not like watching TV or scrolling social media stories. It is an active, creative activity that requires you to be laser-focused.
As someone who has gone through this lately, I have some actionable tips for you. So, kick back and relax. There is a way to maintain your productive writing ritual even when your neighbors decide to make an annoying noise.
Talking with the Noisy Neighbor
The first obvious step is locating where the noise comes from and talking with the person who produces it. The key is being indirect first, asking if they heard about the noise interrupting your work. If they admit the noise and say sorry, then ask if it’s possible to be quieter.
Remember that asking such a thing, indirectly and even more directly, can be tricky as some people would not cooperate and even insist on interrupting you just because you implied them to be quiet. So, bear that in mind and don’t expect too much.
Case in point — I used to have a neighbor who played loud music late at night while her friends visited her. If it would have happened occasionally — fine. However, her reunions have taken place several times a week, every week. When I asked her to reduce the music volume and talk more quietly at night, she first agreed but soon afterward continued the party as usual.
This is where the noise problem can quickly become an actual conflict. While she saw it as her freedom to have fun with her friends, I wanted my quiet back. I felt helpless and didn’t know what to do. We argued several times, and fortunately, she eventually moved to another apartment.
Some neighbors would agree to compromise on their music volume, voice loudness, or the time they clean their house (and drag furniture upstairs), but many others would fight for their freedom and might even make more noise than before to show you that they are here to stay with their lifestyle.
If the noise doesn’t interrupt your sleep but only your writing sessions in the evening, changing the time of the day you write may be a better option.
Adjust the Time of the Day you Write
If the noise interrupts you during the evening, write your post in the morning before work, or vice versa. Consider writing in the evening if your mornings become unproductive, thanks to loud radio tunes next door. Changing habits can be a hassle, especially when you are forced to, but sometimes you must take it as it is and do what you can.
Changing the writing time might also help you be more efficient, as not all of us can recognize our best writing time when we start our side hustle.
Try the change a couple of times and see if you have less noise during the other working time and if it suits your work energy. If it sticks and you find yourself writing again peacefully, great. Congratulations.
If not, consider writing outside the home.
Writing in the Local Library or Café
When your neighbors are too loud most of the day and don’t seem to respect your complaints, it’s time to work outside. You can move to work in the nearby cafe if you have a laptop. Find a place that is pleasant to spend time for hours. I can’t concentrate in crowdy café places, and I can only work in small cafés. Try multiple cafés and see where the vibe resonates with you.
Check out the local library if you work with your PC and don’t have a laptop. In the digital age, most libraries allow working on their computers in a dedicated study space. This is the best place to chill and work peacefully, with no noise whatsoever. The only downside is that the hours are restricted, and some areas in the library get closed at different times. Writing there isn’t as comfortable as it is from home, but it is a decent environment to help you focus and write, especially when the house is noisy.
Soundproofing Your Home Office
Soundproofing is a big thing nowadays. The science behind it has developed tremendously, and plenty of professionals can help you apply acoustic curtains, sponges, and blocks from different materials to isolate external noise. However, as you start researching this topic online, it’s best to classify the noise first. For example, there is vibration noise like machines, air conditioners, or washing machines which might be located near your home office.
On the other side is the sound-related noise like shouting, sirens, plains, or loud music (though the base might also vibrate). But, again, the acoustic solution will be fit by the kind of noise you face with. For example, if your upstairs neighbor moves furniture exactly in your free time for writing, it’ll be difficult to block this sound. Conversely, you might have better options for shouting by soundproofing your window using acoustic curtains or dense sponges.
Professionals can direct you to the correct sound isolation product for you. Google them. If you are on a budget, you can try soundproofing your window with a cheap curtain like this one on Amazon. However, such affordable solutions might only block some kinds of noise to various extents. Thus, earplugs or earmuffs do a better job with that.
Using Earplugs or Earmuffs
Don’t underestimate the power of earplugs for writing. It can help you dive into your ideas and writing without external distractions. Even cheap earplugs sold for a few bucks can make a big difference. Of course, it still depends on the kind and level of noise your neighbors produce, yet often, it can reduce the noise level so you can still write.
A more powerful (and expensive) version of the earplugs is earmuffs. I sometimes use a pair of high-quality earmuffs when the noise is unbearable and I must stay in the place. This pair (Amazon) is the best I found regarding decibels block (up to 30) and comfort.
When I put them on my head, I detach from around me and can focus even when my neighbors shout or put on loud music. It is the best purchase I made for writing in noisy conditions.
The only limit with these is that I can’t put them for more than half an hour without taking a break from them. This is because they are squeezing my big head, which is good for blocking the sounds, but I need to rest my ears for a few minutes. Then I can use them again for another hour, and so forth.
Write on a Different Topic
Until now, the tips were about blocking, reducing, or escaping your neighbors’ noise. Now, let’s talk about the other way around. That is taking a second look at the writing experience itself. Be aware, though, that this approach can be applied to mild noise cases only. For example, when the noise from your neighbors or around your house is annoying but not objectively extreme, it might be that the noise is just an excuse not to write.
When you try to write, you must be highly focused. A passion for writing about something that excites you is your best starter. Start with a topic that interests you NOW. Think about the passion or issue you deal with these days.
The writing platform also affects the freedom to write about what interests you the most. For example, writing a planned blog post for SEO feels heavier than writing a story on Medium. On my WordPress blog, the content needs to be long-form, helpful, and related to my niche. On Medium, you can still succeed with short stories and competitive keywords, as the algorithm works differently.
You can check my recent story to learn more about the differences between the two platforms:
Regarding blogging on your site, you should pick a different topic from the planned list or develop a new one. Whether you write on your blog, Medium, or somewhere else, write about something that bothers you now, as I did in this guide on dealing with noisy neighbors.
The already planned topic could be why you can’t write with noise. Not the noise itself. Sometimes it’s not the noise but the lack of interest in your writing. Write today on a thing that matters to you, and you’ll be surprised how the noise resides when you back writing.
Moving an apartment
If all the previous steps didn’t help, the last option is to move to a new apartment. I hate to do that, but unfortunately, I moved apartments many times as I couldn’t tolerate the noise around me. So, moving is not advisable, but sometimes it’s indispensable.
I wasted so much time, energy, and money on moving places because of noise, and today, and this has become the last option I try to avoid at all costs.
If your neighbors don’t stop interrupting your peace or the construction around your house keeps going for months, it might be worth considering the move. In the new apartment, checking the acoustics in your potential home office during the day and night is essential.
Asking about the neighbors is also important. Take a tour of the place and be mindful — is loud music nearby taking place in the evening? That could be a bad sign. Nonetheless, it’s impossible to rule out all potential annoying noises in the building, as I figured out throughout my life. So do your best to check this aspect in the potential apartment, and hope for the best.
Those were my seven tips to keep writing while coping with noisy neighbors. Of course, each noise case is different, and each writer has different noise sensitivities. Nevertheless, I hope at list some of my ideas have been helpful to you, and you will be back on track to fulfill your online writing goals regardless of noisy neighbors.
If you like this article and want more writing tips and insights from my blogging journey, follow me on Medium and Twitter.
Disclaimer and Affiliate Disclosure
The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Furthermore, I cannot foresee individual consequences of actions like talking with the neighbor or moving to a new apartment. Therefore, using the provided information is solely at your own risk.
The links to Amazon in the article are affiliate links. That means I’ll get a small kickback if you buy something through my links, so thanks if you do so. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
