A couple of birthdays ago, a dear friend gave me a pair of awesome headphones — a sweet and completely unexpected gift. Though the pair has been perfect for watching movies on planes and watching the Food Network at the gym, they really shine at home, gaining me some precious peace & quiet…
Two sets of my neighbors are quite quiet, but the other two are anything but. Though my building has anti-noise rules, they just state that there can't be loud music after 10pm or before 7am. The after-10pm aspect is definitely not enforced, but the real problem is the annoyance factor. There's no rule saying you can't play the same song 7 times in a row, or play the same half-dozen songs over & over every weekend night for 5 years, but your neighbor will definitely lose her mind if you do. For a long time, I would hide out in my slightly quieter bedroom/kitchen every night, but if there's one thing more annoying than paying San Francisco rent for a tiny apartment, it's only being able to use half of your tiny apartment.
And that's where headphones come in! I'm so glad I was given a pair, because it probably wouldn't have occurred to me to buy any, nor would I have known where to start. As it is, as soon as my neighbor-frustration starts to rise, it is quickly replaced by happy thoughts of my friend's thoughtfulness. And "Hips Don't Lie"-on-repeat is replaced by the sweet sounds of Chuck Bass' scheming.
Wearing headphones around the house still seems a bit ridiculous to me — I shouldn't have to — but oh, it makes my homelife so much happier. Have you ever had to do the same?
(Image: Re(al)view: Rockin' RP-HTX7 Headphones from Panasonic)
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I wear them when I clean, definitely. Music stays with me instead of just in the living room.
ooh, I may have more motivation to clean if Chuck Bass was in my head. Note to husband: yes, I need headphones to clean ;)
I need to do this too, to block out traffic noise, which over time, has become a significant stressor to me. Feels ridiculous but if it it helps you cope than I guess that's what you must do.
I also had custom earplugs made. These have done wonders for my sanity - it blocks out a fair bit of the road noise, and lately I'm sleeping better. The foam plugs from the drugstore just weren't working for me. My new ones are comfortable and easy to sleep in; well worth the money.
Good luck, and you're fortunate to have such a thoughtful friend!
I wear headphones when I'm working at my desk at home because it helps me concentrate, and the music pouring straight and unadulterated into my ears energizes me. It's just not the same if the sound is ambient.
as for earplugs, if you need to sleep, the foam ones won't work for me either (they fall right out and barely block the sound) but the drugstore also sells pliable wax ones that work like a charm. though probably a good idea to get custom ones if it's a long-term deal.
I got a set of wireless headphones as a gift last year and they are wonderful. That way I can have the volume at whatever level I want without disturbing anyone else and can still move around the house. It's also great to use when I need a little distraction from vacuuming!
I finally wised up and started wearing my noise canceling headphones at home. I had two snowboarding dudes living overhead. One you couldn't hear at all. The other? He had pistons for legs. He just did not get the concept of walking normally and not stomping wherever he walked. "I'm just trying to live my liiiiife, man!".
The headphones helped beautifully until I moved.
I sleep with a white noise machine on and wear earplugs while vacuuming (or I get a headache). Wearing headphones just to get some peace while reading or knitting is a great idea.
This sort of thing is getting more necessary as we become more overpopulated and exist nearly shoulder to shoulder 24/7.
My boyfriend and I are normally on really different sleep schedules so I got him a pair of wireless headphones for Christmas last year so he can watch TV as loud as he wants in the living room without waking me up at 3 AM. I get to use them too on the weekends when he's asleep til the early afternoon and I am dying to catch up on my TV shows and not have to live in silent fear of waking him up. It's been a great investment.
I wear similar headphones (the big bulky kind) when I'm at work to keep me focused. Some people say they can't work with music, but I love it!
I have tried to use headphones without the success I had hoped for. When I wore them I was afraid that I would miss something important like the phone ringing, someone at the door, or someone breaking in. Who’s Paranoid?
For the same reason, I can’t sleep with the bedroom door closed.
All this and I am a bit hard of hearing. So, why do I keep being annoyed by the sounds of my neighbors? There is no answer.
Though, after reading this, I may give the headphone trick another try.
Be careful not to turn your music up too loud for too long, though. Prolonged exposure to loud sounds can permanently damage your hearing.
Which would be one solution to noisy neighbors, I guess.
I have been listening to one CD every night for the past six months. This is not unusual for me because I just get stuck on music like that. I hope my neighbors haven't been driven crazy. The saving grace is that I don't have a monster stereo with huge speakers. Guess I should get some wireless headphones.
I worked a temporary job where the set-up was 100 in a big room at long tables, in front of computer monitors. The big, 70's-looking, noise-canceling headphones were a godsend. I was in my own personal cocoon. I only wish they made something similar for your nose, to mask what it was like when certain people decided to reheat last night's sauteed squid in the kitchenette's microwave. Kill me.
I'd like to second the request for how one gets a set of custom ear plugs? That sounds amazing.
I used to wear them a lot as a child, but have only recently rediscovered them due to my job (work for a headset manufacturer). I'm not in their debt as it allows my bf to game away on the Xbox while I read or sleep, and I don't have to disturb my neighbors if I'm working away into the wee hours.
Crud. *now in their debt. :D
I used to read in bed for hours, but these days I can't keep my eyes open past 2 or 3 pages, so now when I use my headphones during work and chores, it is for audiobooks instead of music. I'm a good multitasker, and 80% of the time my job doesn't require all of my brainpower, so I finish a couple new novels a week without actually having dedicated reading time. It's also great while cleaning or sewing, so I can be productive in two ways at the same time. Some books work a lot better than others; I made it through Anna Karenina with no problem, and all of A Song of Ice and Fire, but put on anything by Kafka and I'm tuning it out within five minutes.
I'm curious about the folks who talk about foam ear plugs falling out. In all seriousness, are you sure you're doing it right? really squish them into a little worm and pull up on your ear as you insert them. once they're in place, they'll expand to fit your ears and won't come out with-out a good tug.
as far as head phones go, can't-live-with-out-them. at work they're a requirements so I can actually do... wait for it... work. at home, they're a necessity if I want to watch anything other than antiques roadshow in our little rancher where you can hear everything and if I'm allowed to watch TV it means the three little ones are sleeping...