The world is a noisy place, and it’s getting louder. At the same time, people may be less tolerant of noise in the post-pandemic work world. As employees head back to the office, 52% of office workers say they are concerned that noise levels in the office will make them less productive, according to a recent survey by HR Magazine. Nearly two-thirds of those people say they fear they’ll get fed up if their noisy coworkers break their concentration, and 42% worry that they’ll slip into “noise rage” if colleagues become too loud. 

“We’re all revving really high right now—and we’re sensitive,” says Jennifer Moss, a journalist and author of the book The Burnout Epidemic. “There’s a mental fatigue that happens by hearing all these noises all day long. It can actually increase the likelihood of anxiety and depression over time.”