How do acoustics affect our performance?

We humans are a masterpiece of anatomy. We just have a small error. Our ears are tuned in 24/7. The smallest noise penetrates our ears into our brain and requires sometimes more, sometimes less of our working memory. In principle that wouldn't be a problem. But we are confronted with a variety of different noises every day. In order not to lose our minds, our brain is a master at filtering. The sounds that are relevant to us are processed, trigger reactions or are stored. We can “skilfully ignore” the unimportant ones. However, they still need resources.

The noise level in the office

Nowadays we are exposed to a lot of noise because we are constantly bombarded with different sounds. In addition, the noise level in everyday life has increased significantly in recent decades. Streets full of cars, aircraft noise, advertising and much more have become an integral part of life. Most of what we hear doesn't directly affect us, we just get used to it.

Today, everyday office life is also characterized by a certain level of noise. Phone calls from the people sitting next to you, the printer, the copier, the air conditioning or the fan, maybe a radio is still playing. It gets very loud very quickly, especially in open-plan offices. This has a massive impact on our well-being and health. It is estimated that the performance of employees decreases by 5 to 10 percent in loud office environments, with conversations being the biggest disruptive factor. Our brain manages to ignore a lot of things through habituation effects, but conversations are not one of them. The brain's language processing runs continuously and therefore requires energy.

Sound and its effects

Permanent sound exposure is increasingly becoming a stress factor, first for the brain and then for the nervous system in general. The effects should therefore not be underestimated.  

Meanwhile, tinnitus and hearing loss became widespread diseases and “noise-induced hearing loss” was recognized as an occupational disease. But in addition to the physical effects, the psychological ones cannot be overlooked.

Long-term exposure to noise can lead to a lack of concentration, sleep disorders, circulatory diseases, high blood pressure, learning disabilities and even psychiatric illnesses.

So if companies want motivated and efficient employees, free coffee and a bowl of fruit are not enough. The exhaustion caused by constantly high noise levels must be counteracted. Workspaces should have certain structural measures that prevent the development of noise. If the options have been exhausted or a company can no longer influence the construction method, mobile acoustic solutions such as wall or ceiling panels, partition walls and the like can provide relief.