How to focus in a noisy place comes down to two moves: cut how much sound reaches you, and make the sound that is left less interesting. Earplugs, headphones at a safe volume, a steady background sound and a smarter seat all help. Nearby conversation is often the hardest noise to tune out.
Noise does not affect every task in the same way. A large 2011 review in the journal Psychological Bulletin pooled 797 results from 242 studies. The biggest factors were whether the noise was steady or came and went, what kind of noise it was, and what kind of task people were doing.
Speech is a special case. In a 2006 lab study from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, 36 people worked for four hours in three sound settings played at the same level: clear speech, speech masked by other sound, and steady noise. Proofreading got worse with clear speech than in the other two settings. Reading comprehension and simple computer tasks did not change. People rated clear speech as the most disturbing setting and steady noise as the least annoying.
The practical lesson: words you can understand are harder to ignore than steady, meaningless sound, and in that study careful detail work was what suffered. So the fixes below aim to block speech, blur it, or move you away from it.
Pick your seat on purpose. Sit away from the main talkers, doors, kitchens and printers. Facing a wall instead of the room also keeps moving people out of your view.
Use earplugs for thinking work. The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests ear protectors such as earplugs in noisy places. Cheap foam earplugs are fine for reading, writing and planning when you do not need to hear anyone.
Try noise-cancelling headphones. The WHO notes that well-fitted, noise-cancelling headphones reduce the need to raise the volume in noisy situations. You can wear them with nothing playing, or add a quiet sound.
Cover speech with a steady sound. Rain, ocean, a fan or white noise can blur nearby chatter. The authors of the 2006 study suggested making speech less understandable, for example by lowering speech levels and adding a masking sound.
Keep music simple. If songs with lyrics pull your attention, switch to instrumental music or a plain background sound for wordy tasks.
Keep the volume low. The WHO suggests setting your device to no more than 60% of its maximum volume. Covering noise with louder noise is a trade you do not want to make.
Match the task to the noise. Save detail work, like proofreading, numbers and forms, for quieter times or places. Use the loud stretch for routine jobs like sorting email or filing.
Ask for what you need. A short, friendly request often works better than silent suffering. Scripts are below.
Give your ears a break. The WHO advises giving your ears frequent breaks from loud sounds. Step outside or find a quiet corner for a few minutes every hour or so.
Noise is only one kind of distraction. If your phone is the other one, our sister site has a guide on how to stop checking your phone at work.
iPhone has a built-in Background Sounds feature that can play ocean, rain, white noise and other sounds. Apple says it can help counteract surrounding sounds. Here is how to start it, per Apple Support:
Open Control Center, then tap and hold the Background Sounds button. If you do not see it, add the Background Sounds button to Control Center first.
Tap Background Sounds to start or stop playing background sounds.
Tap a sound to change it and hear a preview.
Tap the background to go back to Control Center.
To stop the sound when your iPhone locks, or to lower it when other media is playing, tap and hold the Background Sounds button, scroll down and tap Background Sounds Settings. The feature also lives in Settings under Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Background Sounds. It needs iOS 15 or later.
"I'm on a deadline until 3. Would you mind taking the chat to the kitchen?"
"When my headphones are on, I'm heads down. Message me and I'll reply at the top of the hour."
"Could we both use headphones for calls? It would really help me focus."
At home: "I need 45 quiet minutes for this. Can the TV wait until I'm done?"
Keep it about the task, not the person. Offer something back, like a set time when you are free to talk.
Example plan for a loud open office: 9:00 a.m. detail work with earplugs in the quietest seat you can find; 10:30 a.m. a short walk; 11:00 a.m. email and calls while the office is busiest; 2:00 p.m. headphones on with rain sounds at low volume for writing. This is an example only, so shift it to match when your space is loudest.
This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation. The WHO advises contacting a professional if you have persistent ringing in the ear (tinnitus), or if you have trouble hearing high-pitched sounds or following conversations. And if trouble focusing follows you even in quiet places and affects daily life, it is worth talking to a doctor.
It can help some people by covering up speech and sudden sounds. In the 2006 office sound study, steady noise was rated the least annoying setting. Whether it helps you is personal, so try it for a few sessions at a low volume.
Earplugs are cheap and good for quiet thinking work. Noise-cancelling headphones let you add a steady sound, and the WHO says well-fitted ones reduce the need to raise the volume. Many people keep both.
Speech you can understand is hard to ignore. In the 2006 lab study, clear speech hurt proofreading and was rated the most disturbing sound, while steady noise bothered people least.
The WHO suggests keeping your device at no more than 60% of maximum volume. It lists 80 decibels as safe for up to 40 hours a week, but only four hours a week at 90 decibels.
If a timer helps you commit to a quiet block, Attention Age: Focus Test includes a focus timer with optional ambient sounds and a Lock Screen Live Activity, with 10- and 25-minute sessions free and 45- and 90-minute sessions in Pro. It also offers a five-minute attention test, which is a self-practice tool, not a medical or diagnostic test. It needs no account, has no ads, and keeps your results on your iPhone.
Get Attention Age free on the App Store
Noise effects on human performance: a meta-analytic synthesis (Psychological Bulletin, via PubMed)
The effect of speech and speech intelligibility on task performance (Ergonomics, via PubMed)
Deafness and hearing loss: Safe listening (World Health Organization)
Use Background Sounds to help with sleep, focus, and more (Apple Support)