With the world getting louder our workplaces are getting noisier.  Several surveys show that employees tend to care more about the noise in the office than they do about how clean their workplace is, what they sit on, and the temperature of their offices.

Here we share 5 negative effects of a noisy workplace:

1. Stress rises up

When we talk about stress we tend to think about the workload and all the deadlines we must meet. However, the exposure to certain noises, even the ones that office workers are constantly exposed to like phone rings, trigger physiological stress responses in our bodies. Those responses might cause spikes in blood pressure and affect the rhythm and rate of the heart.

2. Productivity killer

A study made by a British Journal of Psychology found that, whether reading or writing, being exposed to background noises even if it is just a nearby conversation can reduce workers’ productivity up to 66%.

3. Multitasking becomes harder

The more a worker tries to multitask, the more likely they are to be distracted by the noise around them. It is also harder to get back into their original task, according to a Stanford University neuroscientist.

4. Noise is tiring

Exposure to excessive noise levels stimulates the nervous system, raising blood pressure, and releasing stress hormones. Even trying to block it out means that you have to work harder to complete a task because you are actively ignoring the sounds.

5. Noise affects the ergonomics

Several researchers have found that workers exposed to prolonged noises, often found in an open workspace, tend to make less postural adjustments and are more likely to slump at their workstation.

If you are looking to improve the ergonomics at your workspace check out our height adjustable desks.

We tend to underestimate the effects that a noisy workplace could have. Remember that your workplace should always be adapted to you and not the other way around.