How to concentrate (read a book or work) when other people are talking instead of listening to their conversation?

Question

I find it very difficult to concentrate on a task, if people are talking in the "neighborhood", e.g.

• reading a book in the tram or train or in a doctor's waiting room where other people are talking.

In such situations I'm finding myself constantly listening to the conversation (although it is nothing to me and I even do not want to listen!).

How can I learn to "shut those noises off" and concentrate on my task?

Answer 1

One option is music as Vic noted. Another option is to force yourself to pay attention to your reading. For example, try reading out loud. Or subvocalizing (moving your lips without sound.) This gives your ears something else to focus on - the book you are trying to read. Once you get absorbed in the reading, you can stop reading out loud/subvocalizing because your brain has already been tuned to the book.

Answer 2

Human chatter piques our attention because it's inconstant and meaningful (as in carrying meaning, not as in being important), that's normal. Your best bet would be to use headphones and play the kind of sound that's just background and won't get in the way of your reading the book.

Good candidates for that are, of course, white noise and instrumental music, but also music that you have gotten so accustomed to that you simply phase out, even when it has lyrics. It's better if the music is constant, as in not having wild changes of tempo or volume, or parts that are much noisier than the rest. But when you have listened to a record enough times, even those become completely ignored and you can simply read your book.

Answer 3

When I worked in a busy, noisy, open plan office, I would sometimes throw everything at the problem:

• foam earplugs
• stereo ear defenders i.e. with speakers built in for ...
• pink noise playing in the ear defenders

Worked for me.

Answer 4

Another alternative is to take notes on what you are reading. Just like your mom always said "You can't hear me when you are talking!" She was right, if your inner voice is busy processing the information in order to take notes you will not be able to make out what the people around you are saying. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

I study in a university and live in its hostel. It's noisy with many people talking even in the library. What I do is keep writing as I read, whatever I am reading. It helps a lot.

Answer 6

While you read, putting your finger under what you are reading−like childrens do when they learn to read−will increase your focus, you can also use a 3×5 index card and place it on top of the lines you read.

Got that from the book 10 Days to Faster Reading by Ally Marks Beale, reading faster is done by being more focused on what you read so this book helps for situations like these.