Misophonia is a troubling condition that most people have never heard of. However, misophonia sufferers, they know all too well how their triggers can instantly derail their entire day. If you’re unfamiliar with misophonia, it’s a condition that causes a negative – and sometimes debilitating – response to certain sounds.
These sounds are known as misophonia “triggers.” Common triggers are chewing sounds, screeching sounds, noisy neighbors, street noise, tapping, cracking joints, and more. Since every sufferer is unique, it’s unlikely for any two people to have the exact same trigger profile.
While misophonia is a drag that can undoubtedly have a huge negative impact on productivity, there are ways to be productive regardless of having this condition. In the following passages, you’ll find helpful solutions for misophonia.
1. Noise-Canceling Headphones
Over the past few years, noise-canceling technology has not only vastly improved, but become more affordable as well. Noise-canceling headphones are great for blocking out low-frequency sounds. On the flip side, they aren’t so good for blocking out voices and other similar sounds.
The solution is to listen to your favorite music with the active noise-canceling feature turned on to block out all sounds around you. Misophonia Relief recommends Sony’s latest WH-1000XM4 and Bose 700 headphones for optimal performance and sound blocking.
Overall, this type of headphone is the closest you’ll get to blocking out all of your triggers. Yet, it’s important to know that noise-canceling alone without music won’t completely eliminate voices and chewing sounds.
2. White Noise
White noise is one of the most effective and common methods for masking sounds. A good white noise machine or app will help you to mask street noise and most other sounds. Have you ever noticed how calming the sound of a fan is?
Well, if you’re on Spotify, there are loads of white noise options, ranging from playlists to podcasts. Several podcasts are especially good choices since they play hours of continuous white noise. Use your headphones or a Bluetooth speaker to fill the room with white noise.
In the end, you’ll boost your concentration and productivity while blocking out your triggers.
3. Earplugs
Another common solution for misophonia is earplugs. When you choose a pair of earplugs, be sure to check the NRR. NRR stands for Noise Reduction Rating, and the higher the number the better the earplugs are at reducing noise.
While earplugs do work well, they don’t work quite as well as the first two options. Usually, masking misophonia triggers is better than trying to block them out altogether. For this reason, earplugs work well in conjunction with white noise played through a Bluetooth speaker.
4. Soundproof Your Workspace
If you work from a home office or personal office at a remote location, there are ways to soundproof your room. In reality, this is the largest project of the items on this list and also the most effective.
If you have the motivation to complete this job, access to a soundproof workspace will increase your productivity tenfold since there’s absolutely no reason to worry about triggers creeping into your workspace.
Your best bet is to consult a professional or do some basic research to plan the right approach for soundproofing your workspace. If it seems intimidating, a good way to get motivated is to calculate how much more productive you’ll be in a soundproof environment.
Will you be able to double your output? If you answered yes, it’s likely that the upfront cost will be recouped quickly.
5. Be Mindful of Your Reactions to Triggers
If you’re the type of misophonia sufferer who experiences rage after hearing a trigger, one of the most effective ways to calm yourself is to be as mindful of your response as possible. This way, you’re better able to prevent your emotions from running wild and doing something you’ll regret later.
Additionally, when you settle yourself down more quickly using mindfulness, then you’re less likely to ruin the rest of your day. As most misophonia sufferers know, once a trigger pushes you to your boiling point, it’s next to impossible to get back to being productive that same day.
Final Thoughts
Misophonia is a serious condition that affects people around the world. One of the worst parts about suffering from misophonia is the negative impact it can have on productivity. Sufferers must focus on mitigating the effects of triggers rather than trying to attack them head on.
While most sufferers would like to think that there’s an easy solution, there isn’t. In the case of misophonia, it’s always wiser to avoid triggers as best as possible to live a normal life. The solutions in this article are all readily available to boost your productivity and keep it consistent.