Be ready to block out the world

How to stay calm in a noisy place

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is a reminder to be ready to block out
the world when we are out and about. We can't

(00:24):
always control the noises that other people make, but you
can often control your own sound environment, and that can
make a huge difference in your ability to focus, relax,
or sleep. I was recently on a flight where someone's
headphones either weren't working or they weren't using them. I'm

(00:48):
not quite sure what, but they were playing some sort
of electronic game that made annoying and sporadic clicking sounds.
The noise would have made it quite hard to concentrate
if I hadn't had headphones, but fortunately I did, as
did most of the people around me. As a result,

(01:10):
no one exploded over the situation. I listened to some
relaxing music and got my work done just as planned. Similarly,
that night, at my hotel, I wound up being put
in a room right across from the elevator and the
ice maker. There were quite a few loud conversations right

(01:32):
outside my door about hey, do you think this ice
maker works? Before people bid goodbye to each other at
the elevators. This wouldn't have boded well for my sleep,
but I have a lovely white noise app on my phone,
and I travel with Ma's pillow soft earplugs. Between the two,

(01:55):
I heard almost nothing. I slept quite well despite the elevator,
the ice maker, and the fact that my room was
right over a busy road. It was a good reminder
to me of why I am equipped to block out
the world whenever I am out in the world, and
why you should remember to do so too. If you

(02:16):
bring a backpack or a purse around, it's quite easy
to stick some earplugs in there, and then you won't
be caught without them. I know a lot of people
already travel with their headphones or earbuds, but if you don't,
get a pair and stick them in, and consider trying
out some of the white noise apps too, for when

(02:37):
you travel. Yes, you can find free YouTube videos of
white noise, but you always risk that you will get
interrupted by an ad or something like that that might
be even worse than the ice maker. I've even occasionally
had to use all of this at my own house.
Sometimes when there is a storm, the wind will make

(02:59):
branches hit against my window, and this sporadic sound can
make it as hard to sleep as an elevator constantly
opening and shutting. So I turn on the white noise,
put in the ear plugs, and block it all out.
Some people sleep soundly, Some people can work even with
annoying ambient noise. I am not one of those people,

(03:24):
but it's okay. When you bring your own sound and
an ability to block out the world, you can sleep
a little better or work a little better, and that
makes life feel a lot better in the meantime. This
is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the

(03:46):
most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach
me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast

(04:10):
is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,
please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
listen to your favorite shows.