quiet please

Maybe it’s the clicking of the keyboard or the creaking of the chair. Either way, o ce noise can be so distracting! We are not alone in our thinking, either. Linda Carlson, Ph.D., professor of psychology and oncology at the University of Calgary, says o ce noise has been proven to negatively a ect employee performance and e ciency. Longterm e ects can range from high blood pressure to cardiovascular disease. So how are you supposed to ignore these minor annoyances all day long?

Randye Semple, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, recommends mindful meditation. In other words, rather than trying to ignore the noise, you learn to accept the sounds of the environment around you.