How to I stop my slow decline into leafblower-induced insanity?

July 20, 2009 1:16 PM

How do I prevent myself from being driven insane by these leafblowers?

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
rrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg
eeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I moved into this apartment complex because, despite being in a major city, it's next to a park in a secluded neighborhood with no through-traffic. It should, in theory, be very quiet.

eeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

But then summer came around, and because there are three other very large apartment complexes right outside my window there are always leafblowers. Or hedge trimmers. Or lawnmowers or weedwackers. From 7am until 5pm on weekdays and most of the afternoon on Saturdays, the sound of small two-stroke engines is inescapable.

rrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeennnnnnngggggrrrrrrrrrrrrr

This was originally a problem because I work from home, so my schedule had usually been to get up at 10am. The noise made this impossible, so I rearranged my entire sleeping pattern to wake up at 7am every day (I actually like this better). Working with all the noise is difficult, but sometimes I'm able to go to a coffeeshop and I can generally get my work done.

EEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRngngngnRRRRRRRRRRRR

I'm starting to go crazy, though. The noise makes me angry. I went into the woods for four days last week, specifically to get away from it, and I could still hear the leafblowers. It's always in my head, from the second I wake up until the second I go to sleep.

rrrrrrnnnnnnggggggrnrnrnrnnggggggggggggggggg

There's no way I'll ever stop it, and since I'm moving out of this shithole in a month it's not really worth it. Still, what sorts of things can I do to try and even myself out? Since it doesn't seem to bother anyone else, this is clearly my problem, so how can I make myself less susceptible to the constant, overpowering white noise?

posted by borkingchikapa to health & fitness (22 comments total)

Less caffeine and sugar should help. Also if you are concentrating on other things then you can tune out damned near anything. Find a good book or listen to your Ipod. I can tune all sorts of loud noises on the bus by either of those.
posted by JJ86 at 1:23 PM on July 20

Well, now that you're paying attention, you notice it even more.

Since it's only one more month, I suggest you get some earplugs.
posted by notsnot at 1:25 PM on July 20

Yeah, less caffeine. And I put on the fans to block out that annoying noise. Basicallly just try and relax.
posted by Penelope at 1:25 PM on July 20

Have you considered a white noise machine?
posted by DarlingBri at 1:26 PM on July 20

Seconding earplugs and some white noise.
posted by 517 at 1:27 PM on July 20 [1 favorite]

Re. earplugs: consider buying a package of disposable foam earplugs along the lines of these. They work like a charm and when you've had 'em in for a while you don't even notice they're there (except for the blessed near-silence).
posted by sid abotu at 1:29 PM on July 20

Noise-canceling headphones, but be prepared to spend at least $100. We have the Bose Quiet Comfort 2's, as well as the Audio-Technica Quiet Point

They are well worth it! Like you, Mr Pocahontas and I are very sensitive to sounds, especially the whine of gas-powered engines so we invested in pairs for both of us.....it really takes the edge off. The sound doesn't 100% disappear, but the whine does (which is what is so irritating).

Bonus: they are great while flying on an airplane...you won't go back after you've tried them once.
posted by Pocahontas at 1:37 PM on July 20

Town Weighs Ban On Leafblowers
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 1:37 PM on July 20

I totally sympathize. I used to be on a late-night schedule and those obnoxoius early-morning landscapers drove me NUTS. Getting out of the house is the optimal solution. If that's not an option, buy some cheap in-ear headphones (I like these) and download some good white noise. I really like some of the recordings of thunderstorms that I found on freesound.org. If you're more of a pure white noise person, Simply Noise serves up a nice variety.
posted by chrisamiller at 1:37 PM on July 20 [2 favorites]

2nd Bonus: they double as headphones (albeit larger than an earbud), so when you fly, you can listen to movies, music, etc.
posted by Pocahontas at 1:37 PM on July 20

Definitely get a nice set of headphones. I have two pairs, one iSkin in-ear and one Nixon over-ear. I cannot hear ANYTHING when I put either one on with the music at a sensible level. My wife and daughter frequently scare the hell out of me when I have them on because ALLOFASUDDEN they are right behind me.
posted by milarepa at 1:42 PM on July 20

Perhaps reading a humorous essay on the subject will give you a different mindset?
posted by JoeGoblin at 1:49 PM on July 20

Play drone-y music. I like to listen to Sunn0))) or Boris while vacuuming, for instance.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:55 PM on July 20

Read R. Murray Schafer's book "The World Soundscape". It won't make the noise go away, but it will help you realise that you're not the only one bothered by it.

Also, if I were in your shoes, I would move. In the meantime, buy the earplugs. If you can afford to seal the windows with plastic, that could help.

Finally, have you considered changing your schedule so that you sleep during alot of the time when they're working and staying up late?

Best of luck, and may one day more people be as senstitive to drone sounds as they are to scents and whatnot.
posted by fantasticninety at 2:02 PM on July 20

I recommend a noise machine, not the digital kind that plays sound over speakers, but the kind that has a small fan inside a cylinder. As the fan whooshes by the holes in the cylinder it creates a very pleasant white noise. It's fairly quiet, but just enough to drown out leafblowers or weedwhackers.
posted by arcolz at 2:06 PM on July 20

This has done the trick for me when needed – when unable to defeat outside white noise, drowning it out with your own chosen white noise.
posted by WCityMike at 2:30 PM on July 20 [1 favorite]

Soft foam earplugs plus ear muffs is what I use when I'm really desperate.
posted by chairface at 2:51 PM on July 20

I've used annoying/unpleasant sounds to help me practice mindfulness meditation, believe it or not. I had an MRI a few years ago, which is basically a 45 minute series of loud thunks and clunks. I found myself observing my breath and letting nothing but the sounds be in my mind. It was really interesting how my perception of the sound turned around.
posted by Stewriffic at 2:55 PM on July 20

Good thing you don't have a gun.

I'd go with actual music, rather than white noise, but chairface's double-plug system has saved me a couple of times, too.
posted by rokusan at 3:17 PM on July 20 [1 favorite]

I can offer you this thought which Mr. Llama and I used to reference like a sort of prayer when we rented a really ill-advised apartment: someday, it will be in the rear view mirror. Every moment takes you further along toward it being in the past.

I find faith in the inevitability of the rear view mirror helpful. YMMV.

Also, leaf blowers are an abomination. You are not wrong. The other thing we did, when we lived in our crappy apartment, was try to stay out of there as much as humanly possible. It's only a month--maybe you could stay with a friend a few days at a time?

And, as suggested, a quality white noise machine.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 10:27 PM on July 20

Leafblowers were always a problem for me in southern California. They're a pet peeve of mine. How lazy are we as a society that we have a gas powered machine that BLOWS LEAVES! Get a rake, or a broom.
posted by runcibleshaw at 12:12 AM on July 21 [1 favorite]

Quit worrying about what other people are doing?

Write your local government and advocate for them to be outlawed?
posted by gjc at 7:06 AM on July 21