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Blenders and other cafe noises

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regularguy
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20 May 2008, 9:36 pm

I do some of my work at various cafes that have wi-fi Internet. That part is great.

What I don't like is the intense, loud noise of blenders and those steam machines they use for making the various drinks. The sounds occur at random and with no warning; they feel like a hostile assault. The fierce noise attacks me down to my bones. I usually tense up and start breathing shallowly or even holding my breath as I wait for it to stop, all the while seething with a kind of quiet rage.

Do any of you have the same problem? Any recommendations for how to deal with it in a way that is not so stressful?

I'm not sure which is worse: the intense sound attack or the frustration due to my inability to do anything about it. After all, making drinks for the customers is quite reasonable. I'm just looking for ways to stay calm while those machines make their noises.

Thanks!


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Last edited by regularguy on 21 May 2008, 1:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Who_Am_I
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20 May 2008, 10:53 pm

I have the same problem. I find that it helps to become totally absorbed in whatever I'm doing, or, if that fails, to listen to my mp3 player with large headphones that block out a lot of outside noise.


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jdbob
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21 May 2008, 12:31 pm

If the blender is making my margarita then it's OK.



SabbraCadabra
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21 May 2008, 1:34 pm

The other day I was at Goodwill, and this guy decided to test out one of the vacuums that were for sale :x

Twice :x


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Sublyme
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21 May 2008, 1:48 pm

Earplugs or a headset that blocks noise helps me. We have some machines at work that make a lot of noise, and are used quite frequently. When one of the mills or a blender is turned on I literally cringe.....I know what you mean when you say it attacks you down to your bones.....

However these noises are part of my job, and I can't avoid them, I actually have to use them. Occasionally I find it soothing to rock or else I'll start banging my head on the desk, if I'm caught without my ear plugs. I'm way more prone to temper tantrums (er...meltdowns) when the machines are running...even with the earplugs in. People think I'm just worried about damaging my hearing, they don't know why I wear them all the time.

For me it's just my sensitivity to sound that makes the noise so annoying, not so much as an inability to make the noise stop...if I really wanted to I could just turn the mills off, but then no one could grind their pigments.......