If you work from home, you may need to take extra steps to optimise your working environment. Unlike a workplace office, a home office often lacks the construction needed to keep out sound. Our walls, doors, and windows are not designed to be soundproof. If sound constantly enters your room, you are not getting any work done.

With limited resources, there are simple ways we can reclaim some degree of control over our mental wellbeing, rest, and productivity.

1. Identify entry points of sounds with an ear and visual test

The very first step would be to identify the entry point(s) of the sounds that enter your apartment. Do not underestimate this step, as you do not want to waste time or money fixing things that do not need to be fixed. If sound leaks mainly through your door, you do not want to spend time or money soundproofing your window. If a particular shared wall with a neighbour is letting in sounds, you should prioritise tackling that wall over other walls and areas in your home.

Besides a simple ear test for sounds, run a visual test to look for gaps, cracks, and openings. Since sound is transferred by the flow of air, sound can enter through cracks on your window, or from the gap underneath your door. 

2. Soundproof your door

If your door is the culprit that leaks sound, there are 3 main things to fix:

• The gap between the door and the floor
• The separation between the door and its frame when shut, due to the imperfect fit
• Whether the door has a hollow or solid core

Start with the simplest method, which is to block the gap underneath your door when it is shut. You can either use a thick rug, or an old blanket. Otherwise, you can easily obtain a draft stopper and place it under your door to keep out sound.

The next step is to look into weatherstripping. When the door is shut, there could still be a separation between the edges of your door and its frame in which your door sits. This problem exists because most doors are designed imperfectly. 

Weatherstripping is used to make your door air-tight around the edges, so that any existing gap around your closed door is sealed up. If you buy weatherstripping that is self-adhesive, simply peel off the tape and fix it onto the edges of your door.

Finally, consider whether your door has a hollow or solid core. Consider replacing your existing door with a solid hardwood door. A solid hardwood door is known to reduce sound penetration considerably. This will cost some money, so go ahead if you have the resources and know that it will make your door more soundproof.

3. Apply some window soundproofing ‘hacks’

Like your door, your window is another common entry point for noises. If your window lets in noise from street traffic and construction when shut, look into replacing your windows.

Remember that your solution will depend on the severity of the noises you encounter, and the frequency which you encounter them. If the disruption is constant, replacing your windows is a one-off solution that you should consider if within budget. An old single-pane window unit can be replaced with double or triple pane window units.

Otherwise, you can apply some simple hacks. Just like weatherstripping for your door, you can apply weatherstripping tape and fix it to the edges of your window. Be sure to block out any cracks that may be present. 

While it is a less effective method, hanging thick draperies over your windows can help with sound absorption the moment noises enter your room. The thicker and heavier the curtains, the more effectively sounds will be dampened. Heavy curtains are relatively cheap (they can be obtained for less than $50). However, you should also invest in proper quality lighting, since curtains will inadvertently block out sunlight which is conducive for productivity.

4. Add Mass: Use rugs, carpets, decorations, and furniture

In libraries and museums, carpeting is added to help with noise absorption, as the soft material prevents sound waves from reflecting and bouncing over hard grounds and surfaces. If you have excess blankets, rugs, or carpets lying around, you can place them on your floor, especially if the neighbour living below your apartment is the source of noise. More rugs and carpets equal more noise reduction.

You can also hang up decorations on your wall, including tapestries, and even unused blankets. Besides decorations, you can tactically position a thick mattress against the wall that you are sharing with a noisy neighbour.

Know that these solutions are makeshift ideas that are far from perfect. However, they follow a commonly understood principle of noise reduction, and that principle is “add mass”. Add mass against your doors, windows, walls, and floors. Thicker furniture, as well as larger pieces that cover more surface area, can do a half decent job in diffusing or absorbing noises that invade your room. They are more useful if they cover up your entire wall. Since these are furniture you own, it should cost you little to try out.

5. Put on white noise

White noise is essentially a constant background noise that drowns out other sounds, in a non-disruptive way. White noise can be a very practical solution that enhances your productivity. 

Should you be living beside a busy road or encounter a neighbour who is always blasting music, the chances are that sounds will inevitably seep into your office. This means that you will need to cancel out the sounds that enter.

A whirring fan, the sound of rain, and a humming air conditioning all count as white noise. You can put on white noise to serve as a background noise, simply by installing a white noise app on your phone and plugging in your headphones. Alternatively, hit up YouTube and look for a white noise playlist, in which you will find sounds of nature such as chirping birds, rain, and calming waves. Besides the inexpensive methods, you can purchase a white noise sound machine, which is specifically built to produce a variety of background sounds. 

A sound machine benefits your home office in two ways: it promotes relaxation (and better sleep), and it promotes productive work by drowning out unwanted sounds. Therefore, it truly serves the purpose of the home-office combo.

6. Use noise cancelling headphones

Despite your best efforts, perhaps you are unable to keep noise out. Also, sometimes noise is generated from within your apartment by others. One method to block out the noise is to use an active noise-cancelling headphone — a pretty efficient tool at keeping out noise.

What noise-cancelling headphones do is that they listen to the sounds in your environment, pick up these frequencies, and then create opposite sound waves to neutralise them.

In theory, you would hear nothing when you wear them. Try it in places which can be noisy to work in, such as your family room, kitchen, and in front of the TV. This opens up more possibilities of where you are able to situate your desk.

7. Talk to your neighbour

Go straight to the source of the noise. If your neighbour is the culprit, talk nicely and make suggestions. 

For instance, if there is a specific piece of machinery or equipment that is the source of your troubles, identify and pinpoint it. This can be a first step to solving the problem. Is it your neighbour’s air conditioner? Is it their home DIY projects? You could also invite them over to your home to listen to the noise.

If the problem is with your neighbour’s habits, it is not impossible to change them. Make suggestions. If you can hear your neighbour upstairs dancing every evening, suggest that they add rugs or carpeting to dampen the sound of footsteps and music. 

8. Switch desk locations within your home 

How constant or occasional are the noise interruptions within your home? One method to reduce the noise you experience is to simply switch desk locations from time to time. This trains you to work in shorter blocks of time and creates an urgency to be productive.

Even if you only have one desk, there are some tools that make “temporary mini-offices” possible within your home. Nowadays, there are many innovative solutions in the market that are designed for versatile needs, and they can help to customise – and perhaps transform – the way you work. Besides using them as a practical solution to deal with noise, you can also use them when you need to switch up for your productivity.

Examples are: 

• A folding table which is portable and easy to set up anywhere
• A laptop stand that allows you to customise the height of your laptop in relation to your eye level
• A lap desk that lets you work from the comfort of your lap, with everything you need right in front of you — your mouse, keyboard, notebook, and cup of coffee.

9. Alternate between working at home and the outdoors

Besides switching desk locations within your home, you can design a flexible schedule that lets you switch between working at home and working outdoors. This would really help if there are particular timings in which you will encounter noise disruptions — such as the hours of a busy street, a child’s home hours, and your neighbour’s dancing or singing routines.

You can also make the most out of working from home by waking up far before any of these noise disruptions. Then, you would be able to clock in 2-3 hours of productive work, and leave the house once the disruptions start to settle in.

Having an organized and flexible workday is a recipe for productivity and decreased stress.