You're not weird at all, buddy. Good to see someone else who appreciates ear plugs. I even get weird looks when I use them at concerts. Then again, a lot of those same friends are having trouble with their hearing now.

Ear plugs are great. Definatly understand the talk directly to yourself aspect that you mentioned.

Also, binaural beats and different colors of noise are cool to listen to. For me, Binaural beats set to a timer for a certain period help me to write easier. Maybe its placebo, maybe not. Whatever it is, I get stuff down.

Will give this idea a try.

I always wear earplugs when I ride my motorcycle... the wind noise causes some serious damage!

And it's LOUD!

Will see how earplugs, plus out-of-sight phones work for me.

I'm with you, Neville. Except I wear Winchester Ear Protectors (over-the-ear, like headphones) - found in the hunting / gun section of your local Wal-Mart. I'm so sensitive that ear plugs just aren't enough! Sometimes I even put the plugs in and then the ear protectors. I've also used a recording of rain on my headphones (inside the protectors) and that has helped a lot.

OK GOOD....glad I'm not the only one :-)

And yes, concerts are a great use. I hate when I'm in a crowd and somehow get stuck right in front of a speaker. I'll either move or hold my finger in my ear the whole time if the music is at ear-hurting levels

I've tried binaural beats with reeaaasonable success, but you're right: I'm not sure if it's placebo or not

Hmmm....never heard of wearing them on the bike!

Try writing or doing work with them next time, it's great!

Omg....in-ear plugs with over-the-ear headphones on also! That would cancel out up to 80 decibels I imagine!

The in-ear ones are good enough for me, but at some point it'd be fun to try your way :-)

Hmmm, haven't tried the full-blown earplugs thing. Sounds interesting...

Though I do almost always work wearing noise-cancelling over-ear headphones (not some flimsy earbuds), even if not listening to any music or audio at all. I don't get the weird looks that earplugs might get in a coffee shop, but some good ones will set you back a hundred bucks or so. A great investment if you love audio too!

Whether you decide to use earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones, it's a great investment towards your overall productivity. HIGHLY recommended and thanks to Neville for bringing up this great topic!

I use earplugs all the time, but usually just for sleeping. We moved into a new apartment on a busy street near a firestation and hospital, so the noise level was not fun. I'm used to it now but if I ever need to just completely pass out I'll grab the trusty earplugs.

My dad, being a dad and not giving a hoot about what other people think, uses balled up tissues in his ears when on planes or other loud places. So at least you're not using tissues man.

Thanks for the emails!

I love those Bose noise canceling headphones, but the simple ear plugs can join me anywhere in my pocket! But yes, those are awesome. I use them in the plane for long flights.

Glad you enjoyed this Ear Plug talk Izzy :-)

Tell me about it....SO much easier to pass out with ear plugs on, even if it's pretty quiet at your place.

Glad you enjoy the emails Justin!

I like to put on my over the ear headphones and listen to the beautiful sound of mating turtles.

Love earplugs! When I was playing in death metal bands they were essential gear.

I really like the drone of a dehumidifier too- just that white noise to get in the groove :)

Love your emails Nev, keep up the good work!

When I first started wearing ear plugs at sleepy time, I always felt paranoid, like someone was about to burst into my house and rape my butt.

Now, I call it "checking out."

When the ear plugs go in, I'm no longer available to Earth.

They're even good for blocking out word-y girlfriends or obnoxious bosses.

Now if they could just invent a comfortable butt plug, life would be complete.

I am a big fan of earplugs at concerts and bars. If I leave with my ears ringing it's as bad a feeling of leaving the beach with a sun burn... I end up feeling like an idiot for it.

If you want to blend in a bit better at a bar and not look like a robot, then use swimmers earplugs. These are clear and are made of wax. That's what I use.

I've never worked with the earplugs in but it's a fine idea. I use noise canceling Bose headphones when my wife is watching a series or is on the phone. She has loud conversations. :)

I have not tried the earplug trick yet, but I will.

What I have used is cordless headphones.

Most people think I am rocking to music, but I am usually listening to an audio book or complete silence.

Everyone around me knows not to interrupt me when my headphones are in.

Earplugs are indispensable for life in general.

My only problem is that I tend to leave them in all day.

Happily.

Definitely insane.

=D

I moved from a New Jersey high-rise condo to a Hawaii townhouse condo. You know what the big difference is besides the weather? (The weather is just absolutely fantastic here.) There's a LOT of landscaping activity in the neighborhood and it drives me crazy sometimes between the string trimmers and the leaf blowers. I'll put in my ZAGGsmartbuds and either listen to some music, sometimes with Coffitivity running in the background, or not play anything at all since it helps to muffle the sound.

When I was back in NJ working in my cube, I would have my earbuds in and would leave them in even after the music had stopped because it just put me into the zone. All the activity around me would be muffled and I'd get so much done.

I use earplugs all the time. When I'm on long conference calls I plug one ear so I'm not easily distracted. As a graduate student I wear earplugs when I study. It's essential to have earplugs when staying in cheap hotels when traveling to block out the things nobody wants to listen to at 3am.

AND I love wearing them when I write. Tapping into the zone is only possible when I block out all of the outside static that bombards me as soon as I sit down and focus.

No weirder than locking myself in the car to get work done.

Earplugs are a godsend in so many ways.

Crying baby on a plane? Earplugs

Noisy neighbors? Earplugs

Need to work and concentrate? Earplugs

Personally having headphones on and music in the background seems to work really well for me when I am working. But, it has to be in my ears, normal background music won't do it.

I've been using some variation of ear protection for years. At concerts, I bring cotton balls as it protects the ears but is almost invisible (avoiding those douchey comments/stares). If I ever forget ear protection, toilet paper is my go to. Readily available pretty much anywhere and does the trick. Might sound weird, but I value my hearing. Once it's gone, it's gone and that's pretty scary shit!

I moved into a noisy ass live-work space which has forced me to use actual ear-plugs to sleep and work. It's crazy how different everything seem around me when I shut out all the noise. Productivity level certainly rises and I become laser focused. Pretty wild to find others doing the same.

I used to use ear plugs to keep noise out since I have a room mate and when I sleep! But I will definitely try and work and write with them on! I bet that will let me hear my own thoughts more in depth! Love it!! Hope to win some plugs! Second week of just moving to Cali from Texas! That would be one less dollar spent as I find new work here!! :-D