7 ways to survive in an open office

4. USE TEXTS, INSTEAD OF PHONE CALLS, TO COMMUNICATE WITH FAMILY. Personal calls in the middle of the workday can be distracting to those sitting nearby. So Kelly Ronayne, 53, who does

business analysis and forecasting at the Motley Fool, an online media company in Alexandria, Va., texts with his family if they need to reach him during the day. 5. KEEP FISH IN THE KITCHEN

AREA. Eating something particularly pungent just feet away from a coworker can be distracting at best. Ronayne says most people eat in the office kitchen area, which contains plenty of

seating, or at local restaurants. It's not taboo to eat at your desk, but it's generally more considerate to keep odoriferous foods away from work areas. The same policy goes for

other personal behavior. If you're in an open workspace, take care of any hygiene needs, such as clipping nails or applying makeup, in private areas like bathrooms. If anyone forgets to

follow this rule, the office manager can send out a general reminder about protocol. 6. INVEST IN HIGH-QUALITY HEADPHONES. When he worked in a loud room filled with people making sales

calls, Lyons purchased noise-canceling headphones, which he placed over a second pair of earbuds that pumped music or white noise into his ears. "I was sitting there in a weird

cocoon," he recalls. "Listening to Mozart's _Requiem,_ looking at a room full of people talking, it felt like I had been transported to _Dante's Inferno._" Still, it

helped him concentrate. 7. BE PATIENT. Ronayne moved to the open workspace at the Motley Fool four years ago, after working for a variety of companies (including AARP) that had more

traditional offices. He says 80 percent of the adjustment to the open floor plan happened quickly, as he learned to tune out distractions, which include coworkers occasionally shooting Nerf

guns at one another. Now, he says, he loves the openness of his workspace. Compared with home, which is full with family life, it's a calm oasis, he says. _KIMBERLY PALMER is an AARP

writer for work and jobs. She is also the author of the personal finance books “Smart Mom, Rich Mom: How to Build Wealth While Raising a Family” and “The Economy of You: Discover Your Inner

Entrepreneur and Recession-Proof Your Life.” _