Tuning Out the Noise, From Without or Within

Tuning Out the Noise, From Without or Within

J. Ibeh Agbanyim, Ph.D.

powerofengagement@att.net

This article is posted with the permission of the original author, J. Ibeh Agbanyim, Ph.D. and was originally posted on July 19, 2025, at www.PsychologyToday.com

Key points

• Consuming negative information is not good for your mental health.

• Removing yourself from an unhealthy environment matters.

• Learn to use thought-stopping techniques to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

• Too much time on social media affects your concentration.

Source: Pavlo Talpa/Unsplash

In the world of social media, artificial intelligence, and unending news of economic, social, and political unrest, finding time to turn off the hoopla and relax is necessary. Unfortunately, the issue of noise includes more than just physical distractions. Sometimes, psychological or internal noise is even worse when combined with outer interruptions. Psychological noise can easily be found in the workplace when work stress is unbearable, leading to burnout and emotional exhaustion.

While it is not possible to eliminate all noise, it is surely possible to manage the kind of noise you allow into your life, especially knowing that noise comes in different forms. Both physical and psychological noise permeate every area of life, especially the workplace. Millions of people are exposed to potentially damaging levels of noise at work each year. Whether in the form of physical noise from industrial equipment, uncivil behaviors from coworkers, or simply the accumulation of psychological burdens from a toxic work environment, noise in all its forms can cause psychological damage that can linger even after the workday. That is why a careful assessment of noise and how to manage it is necessary.

The constant spreading of misinformation on social media creates social noise, making it difficult to sort through the distractions to get to a place of peace. Misinformation can be damaging and misleading. And the consumption of negative news is a form of noise that, in many ways, increases anxiety levels.

Another type of noise that creates anxiety levels is political noise. Political discussions can be unproductive and noisy, especially to those who consume political news for hours a day without doing anything positive with the information. These realities threaten mental health and increase emotional fatigue in daily existence. That is why it is important to consider other options for staying informed without compromising mental well-being.

Living in an environment saturated with never-ending noise, it is important to find specific and intentional ways of controlling unwanted noise. Here are simple, practical steps to turn down the volume and enjoy life again.

• Acknowledge. Pretending that something does not exist will not make it disappear. Instead, it gets worse. That is why it is important to quickly acknowledge noise, especially unhealthy noise, as soon as you hear it. Noise could be as simple as gossip. Spending too much time discussing unnecessary topics without any evidence or validity can easily create unhealthy noise in your life. Watching or listening to news all day long can negatively impact your worldview and how you interact with others. Making an honest effort to identify negative news and strategically do something with that awareness is critical.

  
  

• Stop. Use thought-stopping techniques to interrupt the flow of negative inputs. Whenever you find yourself spending too much time talking about something that does not elevate or encourage your well-being or the well-being of others, consider it harmful noise and decide to disengage from it for the sake of your mental health. Unfortunately, if you don’t replace negative inputs with positive ones, you become a vicPm of such negative news and thoughts. To better handle the situation, stop the negative engagement and do something productive.

  
  

• Act. Awareness and intention need to result in action in order to achieve a beneficial reduction in noise. It is always wise to make a decision. Deciding whether to have a conversation with yourself or with the other person involved in the experience determines your next course of action. If you decide not to entertain the negative news any longer, then you remove yourself from the noise source. If you decide to engage with others, make your point known and explain why you feel the way you do. Whatever decision you make, act on it and assess the results.

  
  

The use of social media and artificial intelligence has potential benefits for the way we consume information. It has even improved how medical information is consumed. But it has also added new layers of noise into our lives, leading to stressful and unhealthy behaviors, including endlessly staying on social media for hours per day, chasing the wind without any end. Finding ways to balance the use of social media and turning down the noise could improve your mental health and relationships. Acknowledging that there is an issue of noise in your life, stopping and thinking about ways to live a happy life, and taking strategic actions to filter the noise are simple ways to cut through the static and focus on positive influences that support a meaningful life.

References

OSHA. (2025). Occupational Noise Exposure, https://www.osha.gov/noise

Pampapura Madali, N., Alsaid, M., & Hawamdeh, S. (2022). The impact of social noise on social media and the original intended message: BLM as a case study. Journal of Information Science, 50(1), 89-103. https://doi.org/10.1177/01655515221077347 (Original work published 2024).

Sterk, S. (2016). Win! Get the Mental Edge Skills in Martial Arts. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

About the Author

J. Ibeh Agbanyim, Ph.D., is an industrial-organizational psychology practitioner. He is a multiple bestselling author, executive coach, co-founder of Humanity 101 at the Arizona State University, and the founder of Focused Vision Consulting, LLC. He helps team members and corporations collaborate, and coaches authority figures and team members to increase job satisfaction, contentment, retention, engagement, productivity, and overall work and life integration. His book The Five Principles of Collaboration addresses the importance of individuals collaborating in the workplace, relationships, and social settings for a shared goal.

Dr. Agbanyim has published multiple scholarly articles and bestselling books on collaboration, engagement, thought processes, decision-making, and the emotion of fear. His work has been widely read and applied by individuals who represent major corporations and institutions, including Intel, UPS, Bank of America, the U.S. Airforce, Arizona State University, and many others. As a public speaker, Agbanyim has engaged in speaking engagements both nationally and internationally (UAE, Europe, Canada, and Africa) and has been featured on several podcasts and news media, including Forbes.

He received his master’s and doctorate degrees in industrial-organizational psychology from Grand Canyon University. He also earned a master class executive education in art and practice of leadership development from Harvard Kennedy School, under the guidance of Dr. Ronald Heifetz. When he’s not working, Dr. Agbanyim spends time with his family and enjoys outdoor activities.

Online:

Focused Vision Consulting, LLC, Facebook, X, Bluesky, LinkedIn