Why working in a noise-free environment brings many health benefits 

You may be missing the buzz of office life but working in a noise-free environment brings many health benefits, says Peta Bee 

Picture: iStock

WORKING from home during the pandemic undoubtedly presents its challenges, but life without the office chat, the constant whirring of printers and pinging of phones brings at least some benefits — one of them being peace and quiet. Statistics from the labour market thinktank Eurofound, recently showed that approximately 40% of paid hours worked by employees in Ireland were performed at home at the height of lockdown, one of the highest rates in Europe. And while some may have struggled with interruptions and changes to routine, others have relished the snatches of solitude and silence that home-working brings.

Such is the renewed appreciation for silence and its potent effects on our health and emotions that, according to the New York Times, New Yorkers are embracing an unexpected trend of breakfasting in silence to help them “cope with the pandemic”. A ritual that is well established on yoga retreats and that has roots in Buddhism and monastic living, the silent breakfast was born out of a need to carve out some time to escape the digital intrusion that threatens to become all-consuming when our bedroom or living room becomes our office. It’s not for everyone.