The Quiet Zone
With noise-cancelling headphones, I can see my work productivity increasing exponentially.
By the time I reached middle school, I recognized two very important things about myself: I am easily distracted by sounds unnoticeable to others, and in order to work at my most productive levels, I must do so in an environment of complete silence. Enter noise cancelling headphones.
I first discovered noise cancelling headphones in the mid 2000’s when searching for a Christmas gift for my brother, who similarly prefers to work in silence. I thought the headphones would be an excellent gift for both him and myself, thinking he could use them for both studying purposes and gaming, while consequently shielding my ears from video game melodies. Of course, the upwards of $300 price tag at the time made them an unattainable gift to give with savings from my minimum wage high school job.
I didn’t consider using noise cancelling headphones myself until relatively recently. Two life events spurred my obsession with this incredible technology. First, I started working as a freelance writer. And second, I learned that I am a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).
In short, HSPs have an innate personality trait (found in 15–20 per cent of the population) that causes them to be easily overwhelmed by strong sensory input. An HSP will notice subtleties in their environment that others may not, including sounds and textures.
As a freelance writer, I spend most of my time working from home. I have to. When I gander towards a coffee shop or another public writing area, I quickly become overwhelmed or distracted by the varied noises around me. Working from home allows me to control the noise in my environment, to some extent.
But I’m not the only one living in my home. Low noises in the next room like the T.V. running or my partner clearing up the kitchen often become so distracting that the possibility of me getting any work done is drastically reduced.
Creativity strikes at odd hours that don’t always align with my partner’s shift work, so when an idea bursts to fruition in my brain, I have to either communicate my need for silence with my very understanding partner, or wear earplugs in a room with the door closed.
I foresee noise-cancelling headphones as the ultimate solution for my high sensitivity. I’ve tried them on in the middle of a busy retail store, only to be transported to an alternate universe where the only audible noise is coming from my own heartbeat.
Unfortunately, a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones run anywhere from $300–600. They certainly fall under a “want” and not a “need” for someone on a writer’s salary. With my income levels changing month-by-month and unexpected late payments from clients, my savings must go towards an account to help me out with the “dry” months.
And yet, with noise-cancelling headphones, I can see my work productivity increasing exponentially. I’m living in a catch 22: I can’t afford the headphones on a freelancer’s salary, but if I had them, I could potentially increase my salary so that I could afford buying something like this (side note: I’ve heard it’s possible, and I have high hopes.)
I want to escape to the silence of the inner workings of my brain. I’d rather not be relegated to working in the wee hours of the morning or night to have some time without outside noises and distractions.
The headphones I have my eye on are the Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones at around $350. The hours I’d have to write to have that amount of cash leftover after my monthly “need” costs are factored into my budget escapes me.
A favorite fictional shopper created by Sophie Kinsella was once faced with a similar problem. To buy the things she desired, she had to choose to CB (Cut Back) or MMM (Make More Money). I certainly can’t CB when I’m barely covering my basic needs with my income, so in order to get these headphones I’ll have to choose MMM. That means capitalizing on quiet moments and, when necessary, investing in cheap foam earplugs.
This story is part of The Billfold’s I Want It Now series.
