Today, we’re continuing our series on upgrading or moving your office.

As I’ve mentioned a couple of times in this series, I recently started renting an office down the street from my house. Why? A couple of reasons were that I wanted to be more creative and productive. I also wanted to put myself in a more professional environment.

Those things are true, but to be brutally honest, a big reason why I got a new office was because of three barking dogs.

I’m not sure what it is about Missouri, but it seems like almost every household has at least one dog. However, not every household with a dog has a good owner. Over the last two years of working from home, I have spent quite a bit of time trying to drown out the noise of three dogs in my immediate neighborhood.

The owners don’t seem to have enough social awareness or consideration to realize that leaving their dogs outside to bark incessantly for long periods of time is perhaps not something they should do.

Yes, there are ways to deal with barking dogs, but in suburban Missouri, it’s like playing whack-a-mole. If you deal with one, another will pop up immediately. So, I’ve just dealt with barking dogs as best I can.

But when I had the chance to get a new office, I was thrilled because I wouldn’t have to listen to barking dogs anymore. And to be honest, the longer I worked from home, the more the barking bothered me, to the point where it was having a negative effect on my mental health.

I know this all probably sounds petty, but having someplace to go has been a game-changer for me. In my new space, I hear people in other offices talking sometimes, and I hear the dull roar of traffic on the nearby highway, but those things are actually a comfort, not an irritation. It’s nothing like barking dogs.

Think about your current work area or the office you might be considering renting. How quiet is it? Can you concentrate? Or are there factors such as barking dogs or other noises that make it harder?

You might have a higher tolerance than I do for disruptive noises. If so, that’s fantastic! I consider that a gift. But if you are easily distracted by noise and disruptions, is there another space where you can work? Maybe there’s a solution to help prevent the noise?

If so, take it into consideration. Your thinking and concentration are pretty important parts of what you do as a writer.

Today’s Challenge: Be honest about the level of disruption and noise in your current work area. Is it enough for you to consider switching locations?