WEBVTT - The New Corner Office: Create your own soundscape

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<v Speaker 1>Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office,

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<v Speaker 1>the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the

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<v Speaker 1>new world of work, where location and hours are more

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<v Speaker 1>flexible than in the past. Today's tip is to create

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<v Speaker 1>your own soundscape. When you're working remotely, you have the

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<v Speaker 1>opportunity to control the soundtrack for your work, So take

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<v Speaker 1>advantage of this opportunity to boost your productivity and mood.

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<v Speaker 1>If sitcoms and comic strips or any indication, plenty of

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<v Speaker 1>people find office sounds distracting, cracking knuckles, whispered phone arguments

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<v Speaker 1>that were awkwardly audible, sniffles and stiezes. That's why when

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<v Speaker 1>you're in an office, headphones are key. At home, though,

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<v Speaker 1>you can consider more options. What do you like to

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<v Speaker 1>hear when you're working Silence, white noise, the sound of

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<v Speaker 1>the outdoors like singing birds or wind rustling through the trees. Music,

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<v Speaker 1>and if so, what kind of music? Also notice what

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<v Speaker 1>may be competing with your ideal soundtrack other people in

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<v Speaker 1>your house, yard work or maintenance at your neighbor's houses, traffic,

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<v Speaker 1>barking dogs, other outdoor sounds. Once you know what you

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<v Speaker 1>want and what you want to block out, you can

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<v Speaker 1>find the tools you need for starters. If nature sounds

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<v Speaker 1>work for you and the weather is co operative, open

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<v Speaker 1>your windows. If you prefer working in silence, you could

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<v Speaker 1>try noise canceling headphones, though they're often pricy. A lower

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<v Speaker 1>cost option is old fashioned disposable ear plugs. I like

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<v Speaker 1>max Pillow soft earplugs. I wear them at night and

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<v Speaker 1>they can work for work too. White noise apps can

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<v Speaker 1>be great as well, either played directly from your computers

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<v Speaker 1>or phone speakers or through headphones. Free White Noise dot

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<v Speaker 1>Com and the app called Simply White Noise are worth trying.

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<v Speaker 1>I also have a few stand alone white noise machines

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<v Speaker 1>at my house. They help with letting babies nap regardless

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<v Speaker 1>of household noise, and it turns out that they can

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<v Speaker 1>help adults work regardless of household noise too. Try placing

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<v Speaker 1>one by the door of your office so you can

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<v Speaker 1>have it going even while you're on a call. An

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<v Speaker 1>added bonus, a free standing machine muddles your sound so

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<v Speaker 1>that other people in your home don't hear what you're saying.

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<v Speaker 1>That's great for having private phone conversations when you need

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<v Speaker 1>to and when kids can't hear your voice, they'll be

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<v Speaker 1>less aware of your presence while you're trying to work.

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<v Speaker 1>Lots of people love listening to music, but it needs

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<v Speaker 1>to be the right kind of music. Take a week

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<v Speaker 1>or so to experiment. You might like soaring movie soundtracks

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<v Speaker 1>for writing, maybe Modzart and Handle for editing, or maybe

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<v Speaker 1>a psych up playlist. Before you lead a team meeting,

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<v Speaker 1>you could play music that sounds like a coffee shop

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<v Speaker 1>in the background during a social conversation. If creating a

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<v Speaker 1>playlist doesn't sound like fun to you, well, fortunately other

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<v Speaker 1>people have done this work. Just try out a few

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<v Speaker 1>Spotify work from home playlists until you find one you like.

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<v Speaker 1>What's your ideal soundscape for working from home? You can

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<v Speaker 1>let me know at Laura at Laura Vanderkam dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and

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<v Speaker 1>here's to succeeding in the New Corner Office. The New

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<v Speaker 1>Corner Office is a production of I Heart Radio. For

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<v Speaker 1>more podcasts, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

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<v Speaker 1>or wherever you get your favorite shows.