Sounds constitute a significant portion of our interactions with each other, and they also dictate much of our inherent behaviors. Many sounds even affect us on deeply personal, perhaps even emotional levels.

An infant's laugh, a dog's bark, words whispered with a loved one, and the naturally soothing sounds of trickling water all elicit an emotional and behavioral response within us. Soothing, melodious sounds are especially effective at this. Some sounds induce a feeling of serenity and relaxation, while others serve to enhance and heighten our focus and concentration. Soft, innocuous sounds put us at ease and assist in relieving stress. One fantastic way to bring the soothing sounds of nature into your home or office is to install an indoor water fountain.

But how, exactly, do the sounds emitted from a tumbling indoor waterfall help you relax and relieve your stress?

"White noise" is the solution." This noise has gained a bit of a bad reputation lately, as many people who try to sell you things will declare "white noise" to be some sort of cure-all. It is not. There is nothing "magical" or metaphysical about white noise. It does not connect you with any kind of "spirit world," and it is not a panacea. So what is white noise? It is a naturally occurring, scientifically documented phenomenon that exists in our physical world.

Quite literally, white noise is a multi-frequency sound. It is special because it covers a particularly vast range of frequencies. That's all it really is. And it is a sound that is produced in nature via waterfalls, fast moving rivers, the crash and suck of tides, and so on. White noise is also produced in indoor wall fountains.

Because white noise covers such a broad range of frequencies, it has a tendency to muffle and sometimes completely cancel out other noises, while not attracting too much attention to itself (as if it were subtly playing in the background). So, what types of noises does "white noise" mask? Clamoring traffic jams, yapping dogs, shouting neighbors, and the ticking hands of a clock in the last five minutes before the workday ends, to name a few.

Instead of listening to these obnoxious peace violators, you can bask instead in the acoustic majesty of crashing water by installing your very own indoor water fountain. So, what we can deduce from this, is that white noise does not necessarily extinguish stressful and frustrating cacophony in your home or office; but it DOES muffle them, which affords you just a little bit more peace and relaxation than you would otherwise enjoy.

A substantial amount of individuals agree thatthey love their indoor fountains, and that they often look forward to coming home and sitting by the relaxing decoration after a long day at work, enjoying the lull and relief a fountain provides. Many employers, too, swear by indoor water fountains, claiming that the decorative instruments actually improve overall employee morale and workplace amiability. Though there is no hard scientific data supporting this relationship, it makes sense: if you muffle irritating noises that increase the stress you experience in your workplace, you would certainly find yourself less stressed. It is safe to conclude that white noise-producing indoor fountains do not completely "get rid of" stress, but they provide an invaluable means to reduce the amount of stress you experience in your daily life.