I Tried the “Airplane Noise” WFH Hack and It Doubled My Productivity

Kristen Garaffo
·3 min read
<span> Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Prop Styling: Stephanie De Luca</span> <span class="copyright">Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Prop Styling: Stephanie De Luca</span>
Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Prop Styling: Stephanie De Luca Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Prop Styling: Stephanie De Luca

When it comes to productivity, I find I work best when there’s something playing in the over-the-ear noise-canceling headphones that I swear by. I generally have a few styles that I rotate through depending on my mood — mostly lo-fi, jazz, or nature sounds, like a crackling fire or ocean waves.

But sometimes I find myself endlessly searching for the “right” playlist and before I know it, 20 minutes have passed and I’m still browsing coffeehouse ambience YouTube videos. Admittedly, it’s not the best way to spend my time when I’m trying to get a lot done. But recently, I stumbled upon a productivity hack that I’ve been loving and saves me so much time trying to find the perfect thing to listen to: It’s ambient noise that reminds me of being on an airplane — brown noise.

What Is Brown Noise?

Brown noise is a low, deep frequency that is known for improving focus and relaxation. It’s been making the rounds on TikTok and is similar to other low-frequency ambient noises, like rainfall, claps of thunder, or an airplane engine. The first time I heard it, I was instantly transported back to the feeling of sitting on a flight. There’s something about ambient noise that calms me, and once a plane has taken off, the din of the engine relaxes me, similar to a fan whirring before bed or rain tapping on a window. You’ve probably heard of white noise, or maybe even pink noise, too, but brown noise is slowly becoming more and more popular.

How I Work with Brown Noise

When I have brown noise playing in my ears, it clears my mind and helps me concentrate on a singular task. I listen to brown noise when I really have to focus, when I’m writing articles like this one or sending important emails. I don’t typically listen to brown noise while I’m doing menial tasks, simply because I prefer upbeat playlists to keep my energy up.

While listening to brown noise on a speaker is fine, I find that pairing it with noise-canceling headphones while I work leads to top-tier productivity. That way, the only sound pumping into my ears is the brown noise. I can really grind through some work when I use these two together — which especially comes in handy when I’m feeling distractable. I just have to be sure I’m not too tired, since brown noise is also great for sleep.

Brown noise playlists are everywhere on Spotify and YouTube — just do a simple search and many options should pop up. My favorite video on YouTube is brown noise Pomodoro, which is another productivity hack I swear by.

Whether distractions abound in your workplace or you could accidentally sit for hours on end as you plug away on a laptop, brown noise and the Pomodoro method (plus noise-canceling headphones!) make up my secret sauce for staying focused. There’s even a brown noise video for each type of Pomodoro, a 50/10 one and a 25/5 one.

If you get your best work done on planes, or are simply looking for a new workday soundtrack, I highly recommend giving brown noise a try. It’s always helpful having an arsenal of tips and tricks to keep you focused, and I’m glad I’ve added brown noise to mine.

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