What to do with annoying sounds

Hello,

You might have seen the 6:01 email recommending different ways to explore nice sounds for work and for meditation.

In today’s 5:55 email, let’s go one step further and unpack our relationships to annoying sounds.

Have you ever thought much about the differences between a sound and a noise?

In mindfulness classrooms, I sometimes put this idea up on the blackboard:

Sound + Annoyance = Noise

If you agree with this idea, it’s an interesting starting point for inquiry. It states that in order to have noise, you bring yourself into the equation. It’s your own annoyance that transforms something that could simply be a neutral sound into something noisy.

During the next rain or snow storm, you might try listening to this 6-minute meditation on sound awareness. This version has silence in the background so you can listen to what’s happening live outside your own window.

But, if you want a version with some intentional noise in it, I’ve got you! Here’s the same recording with some trucks and rain sounds in the background.