How I manage distracting conversations when working in a coffee shop
It is a universal experience to be in a public place and have to listen to someone else talking far too loudly. And it always seems to be that those who converse loudly are always talking about a topic that should stay at home.
Noise and conversations are part and parcel of working in a coffee shop. Indeed, working in any public place requires accepting a certain amount of noise. There is very little that you can do to get around this fact.
However, you can take a set of simple steps to reduce the distractions and noise from conversations.
Why are you there?
The first step when dealing with any noisy conversation is to remember why you are working from a coffee shop. No, it is not just the caffeine, it is the ambience and being surrounded by people.
Although the noise of working in a coffee shop can be annoying at times.
For instance, as I am typing this, I am currently listening to the Killers hit Mr Brightside, which is being played in the coffee shop, a toddler has been making a lot of noise (good on them), and there are the sounds of chit-chat and the making of coffee.
This could all be really annoying, or it could be viewed as the perfect background noise to help you work. Remember why you are in the coffee shop to work will help you create the mindset to overcome distracting conversations.
Working on the 'mindset' approach to noise and distractions can help you manage the distractions and reduce them as an issue.
Headphones
Now, for me, working in a coffee shop is about making sure that I can go to a place out of the house or office and work in an environment that has social hubbub.
However, sometimes I do want to be surrounded by people and filter out the noise of social hubbub. This is a little like wanting your cake and eating it.
This mainly happened when I am working on a project or tasks that require a lot of concentration, deep thought or a very structured process to follow.
When this happens, headphones are the place I go to. They allow you to block out noise, listen to some banging tunes, like Mr Brightside by the Killers (a niche indie band you might not have heard of) and it signals that I am ready to work.
I use P9 Wireless Headphones available on Amazon as they have a good sound and are at a great price point.
Timing Matters
Coffee shops are at times busy places full of walk-ins, and at other times they are cosy and quiet and full of people alone in their thoughts. Often this can be the same Coffee only an hour apart.
Some have busy mornings, others have busy afternoons.
Some are just always busy.
Learning the rhythms of coffee shops will help you to pick times that are more suitable to work in than others, depending on the coffee shop and day of the week.
Although this is not foolproof, it will, of course, give you a better chance of not being disturbed and distracted.
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Location matters
Real Estate Agents often say the mantra 'location, location, location', and this is no different in a coffee shop.
Picking the right coffee shop and then the right place within the coffee shop will help reduce the distractions. Look for nooks, corners and barriers that will shield you from the sound as much as possible.
Another tip is choosing to face away from the majority of the coffee shops. Sound and vision work together, so facing a wall can help you reduce distractions from noise.
Final Thoughts
These tips should help you manage the distractions of a coffee shop. They have certainly helped me in the past.
However, at times, the distractions in a coffee shop can be too much. If that is the case, leave. There is always another coffee shop around the corner.
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