Nobody likes going to work. Especially if you are working in
a small cubicle. It feels like an experiment has been going on all the time
while you've been working. And in a few days, or maybe today somebody will come
and tell you it was all a big joke. The only thing that makes people feel like
this is the small space and all of the noise.
Of course, you have a bit of space, but that's enough only
to take a step, and then you are out. The job itself can be great, and if it
was a different environment, everyone would love it. Well, since you can't do
anything about the space, what can you do about the noise?
Talk to your boss or
manager first
Before doing anything, you should have a conversation with
your boss or the manager in charge. By doing this, you will let them know that
there is something that might bother more people. They might have already
thought of ideas that they wanted to implement. This is a win-win situation if
someone one else has a
problem
with the noise too.
And, as you read
on, you will also get a few thoughts on what to recommend to them to reduce the
overall noise.
Add a carpet for the
floor
Most of the noise that goes on in the office is people
walking in a distinct matter. If you've worked there for a long time, you
already know who is going, whereby the sound of their particular walk. As well
as that, high heels make a lot of noise. You can be focused and doing something
important, and the tick-tock sound of high heels will make you forget it.
The solution you can suggest is to get a carpet that will
cover the tiled floor. This will make a much more comfortable working
environment. As well as that, that can make it feel more like home. Also, if
there is a lot of noise from the floor beneath you, the carpet will block it
out. The thicker the rug, the better. It also serves as insulation, and all of
the noise will be absorbed by the fabric.
Raise the height of
the cubicles
If you have an open cubicle, chances are that the side walls
are pretty short. By standing up, you can take a peek in your neighbor's
workspaces. If that's the case, you can suggest raising the height of the
cubicles. This will reduce the sound from your neighbors, and everyone will
gladly appreciate some more privacy. There are a lot of options, and the best
one is freestanding partition walls. They are all quite well build, and they
all absorb sound at a fantastic rate. You can either get them one by one, or
you can just put them all together.
The negative thing about this option is that it can be a bit
expensive to do for the whole office. Your boss or manager might even tell you
that you can't do that to your own workspace. That's because some people will
feel jealous and it will cause a lot of bickering around the colleagues. If
they say no, you have a few more options to work with. Click
here to read more.
Hang curtains or
attach soundproof panels
Instead of going up, you can try and make your existing
walls a bit thicker. A professional option is to attach soundproof panels. They
absorb the noise, and they don't let it go through. This will definitely make
your sitting station more enjoyable. But they can be a bit pricey. So, the next
best thing is to add a few curtains on the walls. Since the walls themselves
are very thin, the added textile layer will make it harder for sound to pass
through. You will feel the difference immediately. The reason high-end theaters
use top curtains is precise because of this quality.
Install a white noise
fan
If nothing goes your way, then you can just put in a white
noise fan. This is a good thing because first of all, it will keep you cool and
calm. The second thing is that it's loud, and it will cancel out a lot of the
noise coming from outside. It's just the right amount of loud. It's perfectly
enough to make everything pleasant for you, but it's also quiet enough not to
disturb your coworkers.
Get a pair of
headphones
The first thought that comes to mind is that you get a
couple of headphones, put them in, and problem solved. Well, yes, that can be
an option. It's a pretty good option too, but it doesn't solve the problem of soundproofing.
What we meant by getting a pair of headphones is switching the old phones for
newer technology. Simple wireless Bluetooth headphones will work wonders for
the entire office. No one will be yelling on a handset anymore. Instead, the
volume of the whole office will go down. Here’s some more info:
soundproofpros.com/soundproof-cubicles
Finally, soundproofing an office is a common issue to solve.
There's no way that only one person is bothered by the noise from everyone
else. You need to organize a meeting and acknowledge that there is a problem.
This will make it easier to solve. If everyone chips in with a small amount, it
can make a drastic difference in the working environment. Of course, that's
only valid if the upper management decides not to interfere.
