I absolutely need some kind of human voice in the background for at least a few hours per day. If I don't get it then my mind just shuts down and refuses to work on anything.
My favourite radio presenter went off the air about 8 months ago and I've not really found anything I really liked since. But since then my ability to actually get anything done has gone down drastically.
Anyway on a whim I re-listened to one of his old episodes for a few hours while working, suddenly I'm tearing through my work again.
I can't explain it but it makes all the difference in the world.
I think the best way to explain it, is there's part of my mind, perhaps the really creative bit that needs to be distracted in order to actually get anything done. As in, if I've got a problem I need to solve and actually it's just a case of iterating/implementing to get it done, if that bit of my mind isn't being occupied by something I'll immediately try to "think the problem to death" which ends in procrastination and getting nothing done.
But If I have some kind of conversation going on in the background then that part of my brain is occupied and I seem quite capable of getting on with things.
I wish I could describe it better but it has really made a noticeable difference in the past few weeks.
There was somewhat recently posted a website that generated background noise which simulated an office. I can't find the link, someone else should remember.
I absolutely need some kind of human voice in the background for at least a few hours per day. If I don't get it then my mind just shuts down and refuses to work on anything.
My favourite radio presenter went off the air about 8 months ago and I've not really found anything I really liked since. But since then my ability to actually get anything done has gone down drastically.
Anyway on a whim I re-listened to one of his old episodes for a few hours while working, suddenly I'm tearing through my work again.
I can't explain it but it makes all the difference in the world.