Coworking vs cafe hopping for deep work in Chiang Mai

I spent 3 months trying to code from cafes here and got maybe 2 good hours a day. Switched to a proper coworking space with quiet zones last month and my output nearly doubled. Has anyone else found the same thing or do you actually focus better with background noise?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim9631mo ago

There was this study I heard about on a podcast that said consistent environments actually help your brain get into focus mode faster. Cafes are fun but the constant guessing about outlets and noise levels just drains mental energy.

patricia3171mo ago

Saw something similar in an article a while back about how your brain makes a little map of your workspace. When things move around or the noise level changes, it takes mental effort to rebuild that map before you can focus again. That constant adjusting adds up over a full work session.

oliviat1716d ago

Wait... has anyone looked into how our brains actually process different types of noise though? Like there's a difference between random unpredictable noise and consistent background noise. The constant shuffle of a cafe is totally different from a steady air conditioner hum. Your brain can tune out the hum after a while but with cafes you're always processing new random sounds.