Eliminate Noise To Reduce Stress

Eliminate Noise To Reduce Stress
By Lee Blue

Stress is a fact of life that most of us have learned to accept and grown accustomed to enduring in our busy lives. But minimizing noise, an element that often compounds stress, can lead to better concentration, increased productivity and can reduce your overall stress level.

There are many types of audio and visual noise that can cause distractions that break concentration and increase stress. There’s the noise of traffic and conversations when we’re walking down the street, but then there’s the subtle everyday noises of our homes and offices that can easily distract us: doors shutting, the television playing, conversations in the next cube, phones ringing, fingers tapping on the keyboard. A study conducted by Cornell University found that office workers exposed to constant noise showed physiological signs of stress, even though they did not report feeling stressed at all. Not only does the noise distract you, but it can be stressing you and you don’t even realize it.

While we can’t necessarily control the fact that the noises exist, there are ways to minimize or eliminate these noises from infiltrating our personal space.

And when outside and background noise is minimized or eliminated, the result can be a noticeably positive change in human productivity. A study by the Federal Interagency Committee on Aviation Noise revealed that when the outside noise of airplanes flying over a school was reduced, test scores among high school students increased by 12%. Now, airplanes are a dramatic example of noise, but the evidence shown in the study speaks for itself – reduction in noise reduces distractions, increases productivity.

Here are some suggestions to reduce the sources of noise and stress in your life.

Check Your Environment – When you sit down to complete a task that requires your full attention, and you find yourself easily distracted, take a look around – is your office disorganized, have a décor that encourages a lack of concentration, or is the furniture arranged in a way that encourages distraction? For example, if your desk faces a window that overlooks a busy street, maybe you should turn your desk in another direction. How does your space or office feel? If the colors and décor are too loud and busy with bright colors, patterns and designs, it may be time for a makeover to tone it down a bit if the space is constantly distracting, rather than inspiring, you. On the other end of the spectrum, if your office décor has muted tones and bare walls, you may need to spruce it up a bit to make your office more interesting. Lastly, clutter is an unappreciated distraction for many of us. If your desk is buried under piles of old files and junk mail, your mind can easily trail off to thinking about what’s in the pile instead of being focused on the task at hand.

Tune the Noise Out – Even after making sure there are no distractions in your own personal space, you still face the noise of others. Especially for many of us who work in open offices with cubicles, something as small as a quiet conversation between two coworkers can destroy our concentration. Earplugs are an option, but are limited in their ability to truly turn off the outside noise in your environment.

A set of headphones, such as the EX29 Extreme Isolation Noise Reduction Headphones, can completely tune out the noise. Unlike noise cancellation headphones that attempt to balance the noise coming into the headphones to the noise outside of the headphones to create quiet, noise reduction headphones go a step further and block outside noise. In addition to blocking out distracting noises to help increase concentration, the EX29 Extreme Isolation headphones do not need batteries and you can wear them for hours without fatigue. If you use them to listen to music, you do not have to raise the volume to override outside noise – instead, you will be able to enjoy the intricate nuances of your favorite music.

Get Your Downward Dog On – A routine yoga practice can reduce the “noise in your head” so that when you do sit down to concentrate, you won’t be distracted by the noise between your ears. There are several different types of Yoga for various fitness levels, and with the focus on breathing to ease the flow of oxygen throughout the body, most people notice a significant difference in stress levels from their very first Yoga session.

There are many medical research reports to support the health benefits of the exercise done in Yoga, and many Yogis claim success in gaining an ability to focus on the present moment, making them more productive and less stressed than non-Yogis.

Research from sources such as Cornell University, Yale University, University College London, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health point to a link between noise and stress. While there are many other ways to reduce the stress in your life, the above suggestions are a prescription to minimizing the noise and stress that you inevitably face everyday.

About the Author: Lee Blue is an avid musician, composer, and home studio recording artist. He uses Extreme Isolation headphones in his recording studio as well as his office during work to block out distractions. Learn more about noise reducing headphones at http://www.quietheadphones.com

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Pod Hearing Hazards - How To Take Care Of Your Ears

Pod Hearing Hazards - How To Take Care Of Your Ears
by jasonjcox

Many people have been suffering from hearing problems since the introduction of iPod and other portable music devices. One of the reasons that the iPod stands out among its competitors is that it is one of the loudest portable music players available right now.

The loudness also becomes a vice as people use iPods music capabilities to its full extent, paying little or no attention to the effects frequent loud music can have on their hearing.

If you frequently listen to your iPod at a high volume it can cause Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. The effects of noise-induced hearing loss can be temporary or permanent. The symptoms increase when a person is frequently exposed to loud noises for a long period of time. Prevention is the only cure for noise-induced hearing loss. Here are a few tips to help take care of your ears while listening to your iPod.

Use noise canceling or sound-isolating headphones. The earphones that come with iPods are hazardous because they fit directly into the ear. These earphones boost sound by as much as nine decibels. You have the equivalent to the sound of a lawnmower going directly into your ear. Since the earphones do not fit snugly into the ear, it is possible for background noise to interfere with the music.

The listener has to turn the music up louder make up for the extra noise in the background. Turning up the music helps the listener hear the full range of the music by drowning out any extra noise. Sound-isolating headphones fit snugly into the ear so that background noises cannot be heard over the music. This way, the music can be kept at safe volume.

Turn the volume down. Many people listen to their iPod at a higher volume than is necessary to hear the music well. People are good at turning the music up when they cannot hear it well. Most are not as adept at turning it down once the background noise has subsided. When there is not any noise in the background, turn the music down a couple of notches to see if you can still hear it well.

If the lower volume sounds fine, leave it there. This a good practice to follow even if you do not have the music turned up because of background noise. Since the length of time you listen to loud music is a factor in hearing loss you should periodically test a lower volume level.

Use your ears wisely. Theres something about music that just makes it sound better when its louder. The thing to be careful about with noise is that you do not listen to it too loud for too long too frequently. Ask yourself, Do I have to have it up this loud? You really do not have to listen to every song at the louder settings. Listening to a few songs at a lower volume will make the one song you absolutely must listen to loudly more enjoyable. Think of it as an indulgence while you are on a diet.

Know your family history. If your family has a history of hearing loss, then you are more at risk for hearing problems as well. Loud music for lengthy periods of time will only increase the probability of hearing problems. If your family has a history of hearing problems, you should take extra precautions to preserve your hearing.

Get your hearing checked. This is the only way to accurately gauge your current level of hearing. Having your ears checked will give an early warning to hearing loss. You should have your hearing checked around the same time that you have your eyes checked. This way your doctor can measure the change from visit to visit. If a negative change in hearing is detected, your doctor may be able to give you treatment to improve your hearing or preservation tips to keep it from getting worse.

Quit smoking. Smokers already have a chance of hearing loss than non-smokers. Listening to loud music increases those chances. Being able to listen to your music worry-free is one of many reasons to quit smoking.

Having an iPod is like having a fast car: the speedometer may go up to 220, but the speed limit only allows you to go 70 for your safety. Just because the iPod can play music loudly does not mean you have to listen to that way. Protect your hearing because once its gone, you may never get it back.

About the Author

For several years now, Jason has been reviewing hundreds of online products and services. Many consider his reviews to be very insightful and reliable. Visit his website Best-MP3-Players-Online.com

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Don't Let Your Dog Drive You Barking Mad!

Don't Let Your Dog Drive You Barking Mad!
by goldvein

You love your dog, but he barks! It can be really annoying to you and your neighbors if it becomes incessant barking. You need to understand why your dog barks if you hope to be able to control it.So what can you do to control or reduce your dog 's barking and make him the most loved dog on the block?

Understanding Why Your Dog Barks

Dogs bark for many reasons, even though they appear to be barking for no reason. They are trying to communicate something to you or anyone else who is willing to pay attention. Dogs have sensitive hearing the volume or pitch of a siren/alarm may aggravate your dog and start him barking. Your dog will bark habitually if he is bored, uncomfortable, untrained or anxious for any reason. You'll find that if your dog gets cold during the night, he will often bark in protest. Dogs must have a warm, draught free dog house and should be fed in the evening to ensure that they sleep while we sleep. Barking at the normal movements or usual noise from your neighbors should be considered unacceptable behaviour. So how do you train your dog to minimize his barking?

Training Your Dog to Bark Less Often

First off, there are the traditional methods. Dog training and dog obedience schools help train the dog and also teach you how to handle your pet too, so that you can grow a lasting bond with your dog. Of course if you take your dog out and give him lots of exercise, he'll be a lot less inclined to bark. A tired dog has less energy to bark and a tired sleeping dog can't bark at all! Barking problems are unique among dog behavior problems. You don't want to eliminate your dogs barking, just control it so that your dog lets out one bark to warn you and then he stops barking.

Sometimes barking is good, it 's your dogs main way of communicating with you. He may have heard or smelled something and wants to let you know. Just acknowledging him may well stop the barking, if not try a NO, or Quiet command. If he stops barking reward him so that following your commands becomes pleasurable to him. One of the lesser known ways of stopping a dog from barking is by countering his noise with another noise. The noise you make will startle your dog and make him stop barking. Giving your dog something to chew on is also a good deterrent to barking. How many dogs have you heard barking with their mouths full?

Barking Control Collars

If the traditional methods don't seem to be working it may be time to try a barking control collar. Many of these work by using sound so that the desired behavior can be associated with the sound. Some of the more sophisticated, (and of course expensive), models also use electric shocks to deter the dog from barking. In a survey of British dog owners it was found that they are overwhelmingly against using the electric shock no bark collars. The most humane bark collar available today is the citronella collar. These bark collars work by spraying harmless citronella in your dog 's face whenever he barks.

Bark control collars use two types of bark detection, either sound or vibrations from the dogs throat. Neither type is totally infallible; the vibration type can be set off by motion, and the sound type by external sounds. However both have proved to be effective in helping control your dog 's barking humanely. The best collars employ both methods at the same time to reduce the false readings and help bring barking under control.

Whichever method you use, barking can be brought under control in a reasonably short space of time, so persevere and enjoy your dog for years to come.

About the Author

Steve Dolan is a dog lover and long time dog owner. For more information about dogs click Dog Stuff, and for more about dog Training and keeping your dog happy click Dogs and Puppies Online

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OSHA Guide to Noise and Hearing Safety, Health And Conservation

OSHA Guide to Noise and Hearing Safety, Health And Conservation
by sannoble

One of the occupational hazards of living in the modern industrial age is noise exposure, both in and away from the workplace. Acoustic noise can be defined as unwanted sound and sounds louder than 80 decibels (dB) are considered potentially dangerous. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), more than 30 million Americans are regularly exposed to hazardous sound levels. According to the EPA the number of people exposed to work induced noise damage is around 9 million.

Noise is considered a necessary evil and the insidious effects of exposure above acceptable levels are generally not realized, mostly because there are no visible effects. The primary effect of excessive noise is hearing loss, either temporary or permanent, depending on the level and duration of exposure. What is even less well known are the secondary effects ranging from sleep disturbances: stress and fatigue, irritability, annoyance and lack of concentration. Noise induced lack of attention and the consequent loss in efficiency are matters of prime concern in the workplace. Not only is productivity impaired, but chances of accidents, impinging on worker and workplace safety, are also increased.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has developed regulations for acceptable threshold limits of noise in the workplace and mitigation of excessive noise. The 29 CFR standards 1910.95 Occupational noise exposure, lays down permissible exposure limits for different durations of exposure. The recommend exposure level, as per the standard, is 85 dB A on an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) basis. If this limit is exceeded, feasible administrative or engineering controls are to be utilized. If such controls fail to reduce sound levels within the permissible exposure limits, personal protective equipment (PPE) is to be provided. Further, irrespective of the reduction of noise exposure to 85 dB A or below with the use of PPE, the employer is to implement a hearing loss protection program.

The 1910.95 standard refers to the mandated hearing protection program as the "Hearing conservation program". This program has five operational parts mandated: (1) Noise monitoring (2) Audiometric Testing (3) Employee Training (4) Hearing Protectors and (5) Record Keeping.

Noise monitoring
Sound levels in the workplace must be measured to ascertain which employees to include in the program, the need for hearing protection equipment and its suitability.

Audiometric Testing
All employees in the program must be subjected to a base line audiometric test to determine pre-existing hearing loss, if any. Annual tests are to be carried out thereafter to asses the effectiveness of the program and for appropriate remedial action as necessary. The standard specifically requires that the audiometric tests be carried out by duly qualified personnel under the supervision of an audiologist, otolaryngologist or physician.

Employee Training
All employees in the program must receive annual training on the effects of noise on hearing, hearing protection devices and the purpose of audiometric testing.

Hearing Protectors
Hearing protection devices must be made accessible to all employees in the program.

Record Keeping
Records of employee exposure (sound measurement), acoustic or exhaustive audiometer calibration, and audiometric test records must be updated. These records are to be maintained for specific periods of time.

Experience has shown that effective hearing loss protection programs are universally beneficial and that both employer and employees stand to gain from the programs. The employees are protected from hearing loss, fatigue and general debility. The employer benefits from improvement in employee morale and productivity and will also enjoy reduced medical and worker compensation costs.
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Is Your Condo Too Loud?

Is Your Condo Too Loud?
by Real Estate Advisor

While condo buyers have to look into various factors before deciding on the purchase of a condo, one major aspect that remains very important is the noise factor. Condo living and noise often seem to go hand in hand. Many condo owners are plagued by noise issues. Whether it is due to footfall noise caused by hardwood floors, or the sound transmitting through the walls, condo noise could be very disturbing. This common but unlivable problem can totally disrupt peaceful living, even though the condo may be otherwise perfect.

If you are a prospective condominium buyer, then here are a few points that are worth taking into consideration before your purchase.

Condo buyers are better off inspecting the condo to check if every part of the home is noise proof before finalizing the contract. Mike Komula, is an acoustician with Dudek, a California environmental consulting firm that helps builders assess the acoustic qualities of new buildings. Here are a few tips offered by him for buyers to check for in the condo before they sign a contract.

1. Check for noise by making some - The best way to see if the adjacent units produce noise that seeps through to the rooms in your condo is to test by making noise in the units next door. Test for noise by turning on the radio, flushing the toilets and walking along the floors. One should also check for the plumbing noises made by bath and sink taps which could produce vibrations along the walls or noise when too small.

2. Check multistory floor layouts: Check the layout of the floors to make sure that rooms are placed compatibly above one another. A kitchen or bath above your bedroom, instead of another bedroom, could prove noisy.

3. Sound insulation of windows: Make sure the windows have dual panes for better sound reduction. These absorb more sound than single pane windows. The type of glass pane used for window also counts greatly. Ensure that the panes are a lot thicker for better insulation of sound. Also, larger the air cavities between glass panes means greater noise reduction.

4. Solid doors: Use firmer doors that have a solid core instead of hollow ones to keep out noise effectively.

Builders are increasingly concentrating on noise management especially in multifamily projects and it is recommended that buyers speak to the builder to know about the construction details that enhance noise reduction.

Some of the questions to put across to the builder would be to verify the following:

1. If the shared walls are double walls. A double wall instead of a stud wall of 2x4 foot absorbs more noise due to the wider air gap between the 2 walls.
2. Check for the number of layers of drywall on each side because more the number of layers, better the sound absorption.
3. Check if walls and ceilings have good sound absorbing material such as resilient metal channels.
4. Check the floor for a lightweight layer of concrete topping. It offers substantial noise reduction in airborne and impact noise by adding mass.

Another important thing that Condominium buyers should check is the STC or Sound Transmission Class rating. An STC rating of 65 indicates that the walls and floor-ceiling construction between units are of better sound proofing.
Source: REALTOR magazine online

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San Diego Condos
La Jolla Condos
Mission Bay Real Estate

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Things That Go Bump In The Night

Things That Go Bump In The Night
by Davinos Greeno

For those living under the flight path of the busiest airport in the world a good nights sleep has become a distant dream. A friend of mine that is sleep deprived explains why Heathrow is a Human Rights issue.

The sun is out and the birds are chattering. It is blissfully quiet and I am deep in slumber. A deep droning noise jerks me awake. No, it is not my Sunday afternoon nap under the pear tree. It is 4.30 a.m. on a summer 's morning and the first long haul flight of the day is about to land at Heathrow. I have to get up in two and a half hours to travel to work on a hot, sweaty tube train. Too late, though, to get back to dreamland. That jumbo has broken my sleep for good.

Welcome to life under the flight path of the busiest airport in the world.

In Isleworth, we can just about get used to the aeroplanes coming in every two minutes during the day because landings are rotated so that aircraft don't fly constantly over the same houses. But night flights? I don't think so.

Sixteen night flights have been allowed at Heathrow between 11.30 pm and 6am since 1993. Most of the flights arrive after 4.30 am. The government is looking into the possibility of more night flights, provided aircraft use quieter engines as the older and bigger aircraft make a horrendous noise.

So you can imagine how dismayed both myself, and the other 600,000 people living under Heathrow 's flight paths, were to hear that the government had won its appeal against the European Court of Human Rights' ruling that night flights should be banned because we are entitled to a good night 's sleep. In fact it was the European Court of Human Rights which overturned its previous decision in 2001 that "there was no overwhelming national interest for night flights at Heathrow, and therefore the residents' basic human right to sleep should not be sacrificed for the convenience of airlines".

So why a change of heart by the court? Economics. According to our local paper, the Richmond and Twickenham Times, the court found that the economic benefits to the country as a whole outweighed the interests of sleepless residents. The court said that there had been no violation of Article 8 of the Human Rights Convention (HRC), the right to respect for private and family life and home. However, it did find that under Article 13 of the HRC, the residents hadn't been given the opportunity to make their case fully in the UK courts. So the fight will go on.

Noise is one of the worst pollutants and can ruin your quality of life. Friends of the Earth remind us that night flights have caused many residents to suffer from constant tiredness, clinical depression, irritability, headaches and ear infections caused by wearing earplugs. It maintains that the noise caused by the night flights was substantially in excess of the World Health Organisation 's guidelines for avoiding sleep disturbance at night. If you have troublesome noisy neighbours, you are protected by the Noise Act of 1996. But, guess what, it doesn't apply to aircraft noise! According to the UK Noise Association, aviation is virtually above the law.

HACAN Clearskies (Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise) is the largest voluntary organisation in Europe dedicated to campaigning on behalf of those who suffer because of aircraft flight paths. Whilst not opposed to Heathrow per se, the organisation has fought various battles over the years. It played an important part, for example, in persuading the Government to introduce runway alternation, so that residents in South West London were not continuously bombarded with noise.

There is also the ongoing issue of whether there will be a third runway at Heathrow. Heathrow 's proximity to London means aircraft continuously circle over the capital and come in to land over crowded urban areas. (If the 2001 Concorde crash had happened in London, and not in Paris, the plane would have come down on Ealing!)

HACAN believes that a third runway would increase the possibility of a mid air collision over London. It would also mean 500 more flights a day and a plane flying over our houses every minute, not to mention bad air pollution, congested roads and public transport, and disruption of children 's schooling.

So let 's keep battling for a decent nights sleep. We may have lost this round of the battle, but it will continue now in the UK courts. For more information, go to the HACAN website.
About the Author<>

Davinos Greeno works for the ethical directory which sells fairtrade shoes plus we have Ethical Company Articles for you to read or publish.

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