Is White Noise Good For Studying?
Sometimes, studying can be tough, and it is important to find methods to improve it. Perhaps you are looking for ways to improve your concentration levels and focus? Well, look no further, as in this article we look at white noise and how it can be beneficial to us when studying.
When looking for ways to improve studying, white noise may not be something you would think about or even associate with studying. However, there are many people who praise its effectiveness and who even recommend it to others. Why is white noise so good when it comes to studying?
White Noise is a blend of all frequencies and sound that a human can hear, and when played over the sounds of voices, for example, it can drown out those voices into the background and hence block out any unwanted distractions.
It is greatly known to improve sleep and help those with sleep disorders, but studying is also something that white noise can help with. This can depend on your individual concentration levels, as some may find the slightest noise distracting when trying to concentrate whereas others may thrive whilst listening to it.
In this article, we look at the effects of white noise on studying and explain whether we think it is as effective as people make it out to be.
Impacts Concentration Levels
The reason why so many people believe white noise helps them is that it affects their focus and concentration levels. In a study performed by the Journal of Consumer Research, it was confirmed that the effect of white noise ranges from 40db – 70db and that the more creative individuals who are able to concentrate while among distractions are more likely to be focused when there is a little white noise present. Some research shows that white noise can even boost memory altogether!
However, when looking at other research it shows that white noise can also sometimes negatively affect people’s ability to focus and concentrate. Research from The Ohio State University Medical Center, in fact, stated that white noise is also able to increase stress levels in people, leading to a decrease in concentration. This may relate to those individuals who need complete silence to work well and therefore any sound will not help them but instead decrease their desire to work.
It can be said that even though white noise is effective for many people, its overall effectiveness depends on the individual who is listening to the sounds, as what works for one may not work for everyone.
Blocks out distracting sounds
As white noise is the combination of thousands of frequencies and sounds together, it can easily block out any unwanted noise when you listen to it. If you live in a student dormitory for example, which is often full of noisy people and neighbors, then it may be difficult to study.
By quickly searching on YouTube for a white noise solution, or even purchasing a specialized white noise machine, you can begin to cut off from these noisy distractions and go into your own little world whenever you need it.
White noise works by quickly masking unwanted sounds, which then helps to relax the mind, and thus helps it to focus more on the task at hand. The sound of white noise may seem a little overwhelming at first, but the more you listen to it the more it can fade into the background.
Similar to white noise, ‘pink noise’ is another sound which contains more emphasized lower frequencies, and which can also be used to mask noises. This includes the sounds of nature, such as rainfall, thunderstorms and ocean waves. They can all be used for the same purpose, and are often found in most white noise machines or even in YouTube videos.
White noise is known to have been favored by those who regularly practice meditation as it helps to quieten the mind in order to reach a certain mental state. Therefore, if it is capable of affecting the mind in such a way, it can certainly help to induce a certain level of concentration when it comes to studying.
Boosts Productivity
White noise is a tried and tested method with many people, who claim that when listening to music, their level of productivity increases. When listening to a sound such as white noise, however, it can be even better than listening to lyrics and changing songs which can often break up a concentration period.
Listening to white noise with headphones for a certain amount of time can certainly help get you in the zone, and thus improve your overall productivity. This is because the sound is never-ending and doesn’t stop, so your level of concentration can last longer when it is combined with this frequency.
It has also been said that white noise works wonders when carrying out repetitive tasks. When carrying out such tasks, we sometimes fall into a rut and feel like giving up easier, and in these cases, white noise can help pick you up out of the slump and get on with the job. This has been confirmed by a study carried out with surgeons while listening to music during surgery.
Final Verdict
It is definitely obvious that white noise works for a large number of people thanks to the peaceful, relaxing state of mind that it creates. Therefore, when it comes to studying it can be successful and something that can be relied upon whenever a little quiet study time is required.
For those who need complete silence, however, white noise may not work as well and will create more agitation than concentration. Therefore, it is concluded that on one hand, white noise is really good for studying, but it does depend on the individual’s preferences. It is definitely recommended that you try listening to white noise over a period of time, and see if it works for you!