You know how the working day tends to go: an energetic coffee-fueled start, followed by a post-lunch 'why do the seconds last for actual weeks' slump.

Concentrating on what you're doing can feel like the hardest thing in the world but you never really know why.

Well, according to the Wall Street Journal, the reason we keep losing concentration at work is because of 'visual noise' distracting us from the job at hand.

Visual noise, described by the WSJ as 'the activity or movement around the edges of an employee's field of vision', can negatively affect creativity, concentration and analytical thinking.

So if you work in an open office space rather than in your own private cubicle, then you might well be being distracted by those around you.

Senior workplace expert Leigh Stringer told the WSJ that the problem isn't just noise, but also a feeling of pressure which arises from being exposed to your boss' gaze for the entire working day.

In fact, a study with Chinese factory workers in 2012 found that they were 10% to 15% more productive working behind a curtain, out of sight from their bosses.

So, does this mean we should all get our own private window-view offices with sofas and mini bars and be done with it? As amazing as that sounds, the more practical solution might be building partitions or even strategically placing plants to shield the view of other colleagues.

h/t Wall Street Journal

From: Cosmopolitan UK