Landscape is becoming more and more common at work: looking up in an office, especially in open spaces, and seeing a good collection of heads with their headphones on has become a common sight. The consolidation of teleworking has transformed the organizational layout of today’s offices: open spaces are becoming the norm, and with them a new way of working. Are you able to concentrate in a large room with twenty people talking to each other or on the phone? Many have decided not to, and this is where, little by little, the use of headphones has been making its way.
Specifically, a study A study conducted by CloudCoverMusic in the United States revealed that 56% of respondents regularly use headphones during the work day. The reason? For most, it increases their productivity at work; for others, it helps them focus on what they are doing. In this sense, nearly 80% of respondents believe that listening to music improves their productivity, and 46% admitted to using them to avoid being interrupted by their colleagues. In this second group, it is a visual code: an “I am not available” that It does not require you to have the headphones onthat is, it is a visual code that alerts the rest of your colleagues that you are not available.
But how beneficial are headphones in the workplace? Do they lead to greater concentration and, consequently, productivity? On the contrary, are they an obstacle to communication?
“Don’t bother me: I’m working”
There is no clear consensus on the advantages or disadvantages, at the corporate level, of using these devices to disconnect from the environment. Psychologist Mihaly Robert Csikszentmihalyi first coined what he described as “the flow theory“Headphones” is a moment of inspiration that boosts productivity for the person experiencing it. It is a flash of extreme concentration in which work seems to happen on its own and objectives are achieved with great ease. Those who use headphones at work — possibly without knowing it — eagerly pursue this state of concentration.
A positive aspect of using headphones is the ability to block out external noises that can interfere with concentration. The principle is clear: headphones play a double role. On the one hand, they give an unequivocal message of Do not disturb to the rest of the office colleagues, which saves the person wearing them from unnecessary conversations; on the other hand, if the headphones have a noise cancellation system, they produce valuable isolation from the environment that many profiles need to produce. This isolation does not come free to the company either: the benefits of spontaneous conversation.
But where is the line between efficiency and rudeness? “The image you give to your environment depends on the trust you have with your colleagues,” explains psychologist Joan Salvador Villalonga, who warns of the danger of the bubble effect that these people produce, highlighting the fine line that separates productivity from “isolating yourself from your environment.” Ultimately, maintaining a casual conversation can strengthen work relationships and improve synergies, the main objective of open spaces.
Noise cancellation, the new mantra of the moment
Beyond the unavailability message conveyed by the image of someone working with headphones, the other increasingly coveted function of these headphones is active noise cancellation (ANC). “It is a combination of internal and external microphones to measure the noise inside and outside the headphones,” explains Cameron Macleod of Sonos, “custom filters use the input from the microphones to generate the correct anti-noise signal to balance the noise from outside the headset.” This manufacturer has reinforced, as one of its main functions, the ANC in its Ace headphones.
The effect of the ANC is equivalent to “close the office door”, and create a space of physical isolation. They work as follows: these headphones have small microphones that receive all the noises from outside, these sounds are managed in real time in processors that create a sound exactly opposite to the one you want to cancel. This counter noise It is especially effective when the sounds to be eliminated are constant, such as in an airplane or water flowing in a river. shock between external noise and that generated artificially by the processor, it makes the former, for the brain’s purposes, practically disappear.
But noise cancellation can be lethal in environments other than the office. A study by the University of Maryland found that serious injuries and deaths among pedestrians using headphones had tripled in six years. This is why most manufacturers have transparency modes in which these external microphones perform the opposite function: they amplify the sounds so that the person wearing the headphones is not deprived of sensory information and thus accidents can be avoided.
Antidotes to stress at work
In addition to the benefits related to concentration and productivity, the use of headphones can also have a positive impact on the mental health and well-being of employees. Listening to music or relaxing sounds can reduce stress and anxiety levels, thereby creating a more positive working atmosphere. Music has the power to influence mood and can be a useful tool to improve the emotional well-being of the listener. This is well known to more and more dentists who are aware of the importance of music. existing correlation between certain sounds in the consultation and the patient’s anxiety level.
In short, headphones can be a powerful tool in the workplace, elevating the wearer’s concentration, productivity, and emotional well-being. However, this isolation takes a significant toll in work environments where synergies and light conversations are an important component of productivity.
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