I live next to a big noisy construction site - here's how I cope
Every morning around 6 am, it begins.
The floodlights on the crane slowly turn on. The sounds of trucks hissing to a stop come alive. The crunches of footsteps become more pronounced. I live on a construction site.
I'm up just before they arrive, cherishing the moments of stillness. I wake up at 5:45, do my tongue scraping, oil pulling, yoga, clean up, and breathwork. The sky is still dark, but you start to see the lights. They weave in and out through the concrete structure like silent assassins. No windows, no walls, not yet, at least. Just concrete.
The food truck pulls up, and the guys slowly make their way towards it. Big trucks carrying building materials are rolling in now. Some truckers sometimes spend the night parked, making sure not to miss this load. They're rolling in now, carrying large metal to make the columns for the building. They can't make any noise till 7 for law, so they move quietly.
Just before 7, the noise picks up. Guys come out of their cars and congregate around the entrance of the site. It almost seems like children getting ready for the first day of school. There's laughing, there's bro hugs, but there's also respect for what's about to come for the next 12 hours.
There are some guys already on top of the structure, setting up the materials for the day. They must be the top dogs, the team that is the most skilled and the most trustworthy.
I live next to this two 22-story apartment development. It's being marketed as one of the higher-end buildings in Dallas, starting at $4,000 a month. They say "Luxury in the air." You bet it is. It eclipses almost every other building in sight, with mine being only 9 stories tall and others being 3. This used to be a small neighborhood whisked away from the noise of downtown. Not anymore.
I'm the lucky one who is closest to the madhouse, about 50 yards away from the site.
I rented my apartment unit because it was everything I asked for: a wrap-around balcony, 24/7 sunlight, a whole skyline view of the city, and my favorite area in Dallas. It's amazing, and the price was amazing, so I was confident I found my new home and signed the deal the same day I heard about the place. I put $350 down that day, and just like that, I had my very first apartment.
The lease began in October, and it was July, so I went to live at home in Chicago.
I was so excited to move into this place. I'm fresh out of college, no more roommates, just me and my girlfriend. I could cook naked, or both of us could, and no one would stop us. Am I dreaming?
I would watch the video of the apartment that the leasing agent sent me every day. I couldn't wait. I was so proud to show it off to my girlfriend. It was a single bed on the top floor of the building, so I called it the penthouse suite.
In my free time, I would look on maps and see all the places I could walk to, see the tennis courts right next to me. What a dream.
October came around, and I found myself in Dallas two days before the move. I stayed at a Marriott the night before with my girlfriend.
The moment I landed, I was so excited, I said, "Babe, let's go take a drive to our new place." It was around 8 pm when we got there, dark, but quiet, everything I hoped for. The building was 9 stories, family-style, tucked away on a small side street next to small condos and older residences, so quiet. Trees and grass.
Here it is. I made it. We walked around some more to get a feel for the place and locate the unit. We found it all the way in the back.
I remember walking around to my unit all the way in the back, corner-facing the city. It was amazing. I was outside, me and my girl were walking around, and noticed a large fence that said, "Stop, wear hard hat, glasses, and vest before you enter." I knew it was some type of construction site, but I didn't think much of it, quick project. I didn't realize what I was getting myself into.
That was the start of the first building, located far away from probably 300-500 yards. When I woke up that Monday morning in my new apartment, I could see what they were doing; it looked like a big hole.
Then the noises began at 7, guys whisked in hundreds of them, none could speak English, and they all congregated around one man in the middle. They would speak for about 20 minutes and then go onto the site, beginning to build roofing.
After all this construction and the bird's eye view I get watching them, I feel as if I could teach a lecture on commercial concrete roofing. So here it goes.
They start by building out some type of square concrete stands, and on top, there are wooden planks. The crane would bring down these planks, and that would be where they put the wooden planks on top of. Around each, there are holes to put the wiring for the columns. The columns would then be retrofitted to have a wooden jacket around it to put the concrete on once they have the steel columns plus all the wood down. They began to add tons of wiring on the ground, maybe for plumbing, maybe for structural integrity; I don't necessarily know. After that, they get the concrete, at least 10 trucks it takes to make 1/3 of the building. They shoot it through this machine that has a tube that goes like 25 stories high, which shoots the concrete out of it, and the guys layer it down over the wiring. The process takes around 5 hours and requires them using mops and water and long poles to smooth out the concrete. This is a step they repeat 3 times, essentially taking 1 week to 10 days to finish one floor.
I found out from one of the workers on the walk that this building would be 22 stories. I was disappointed to say the least, but the building didn't really block my view; it almost enhanced it. I thought there almost done.
But there was an open land plot next to it; they would park their cars on there. I knew it was coming, but I didn't want it to be true.
The second one began, and it was a scene fresh out of Mad Max.
They had to make large holes in the earth in order to make this structure with a giant machine that looked rusty and dark earth reddish-brown with a man sitting outside of it on a big chair that could twist around. Dust was everywhere; the ground would shake; electricity would go off every couple of hours sometimes when they were doing the electricity.
Also, it couldn't get worse; they decided to do a demolition right across the street, even closer to me. It had asbestos disease all over the building; two for one, two cranes, two bulldozers. I was living right in it, and I still am. Every morning, I try to get up before they do. I never win. Every morning, I put on my headphones and pray it will cover the noise. I never win.
The project will take 2 years +, and I am with them every step of the way.
As you could imagine, I have been severely stressed out. The idea of relaxing in your own home with construction noises of whizzing, hammering, drilling, and yelling and whistles to let the team know the crane is carrying something is crazy. Here is a video of when they were building the second building's foundation.
This is a video when they had the demolition going on.
From 7am-7pm, 6 days a week, they are doing this.
I cannot open my windows during the day; I have to wear earplugs when I go outside or risk hearing damage. Dust is filling my house like it's the Dust Bowl.
It's taken a toll on my relationship with my girlfriend; I cannot enjoy cuddling with her in bed.
I got so stressed out; I would notify my leasing department daily. I got sick of them; I would stand outside with my neighbor, and once 7 hit, we would tell them all to leave in Spanish or we're calling la policía. They always try to work after 7. It seems that nobody wants to go home. Just build.
Now my lease is going to end this February as I'm writing this; they are building the 8th floor. I was just outside with them; they are making some noises today; don't worry about them.
What does that leave me with? Who I am today because of this experience?
I love health and wellness, I love peace, I love life, why haven’t I moved yet?
I came to learn about the characters, the cars they drive, the people they are, they are based around community hard work, pride; they support their families and barely get to see them. Want to see what hard work is like? Catch my guys after 7 pm; it looks like they just left war.
Once I understood that, I relaxed. Don't blame them. Blame capitalism. Blame Dallas for its incongruity with architecture. Blame god or whoever. Don’t blame yourself.
If you ever find yourself in a situation like this, think about two things:
What can I do for myself? Buy an air filter. A white noise machine? How can I take care of my biology right now?
What are the positives of this? More time outside of the apartment? More patience? Get up early before the noise hits?
I had to learn how to love myself again; I had to detox my body from all the VOCs from the pain, the dust in the air.
Being the biohacker I am, this is my biggest challenge.
We always talk about living a healthy lifestyle, but look where we are. The world has never been more toxic; life has never been. The election just happened; dust is in the air; it's all madness. But you have the power to control that; you have the power to control your mind and your body, and you can make the decisions to live a long and beautiful life NOW.
That's what I told myself: I will no longer be stressed by the noise, the dust; I will do it. Here's what I did:
I focused on self-love and became kinder to myself, telling myself, "Hey, I know it's loud today, but it's going to be alright. I love you."
I motivated myself by thinking, if I can live here, I can live anywhere.
I learned to enjoy the process and liked checking in on the construction progress.
I dreamed big, looked at my life, and laughed at the moment.
I trusted in God's plan for me and questioned my purpose, asking myself what my goals were.
I used relaxing herbs like skullcap extract and lung love oxymel from Free Verse Farms to help boost my immune system and lung support.
I took nootropics to improve my focus and regulate my nervous system. Also to earn more money.
I placed air filters everywhere, with Air Doctor being my top choice.
I used white noise and binaural beats during the day and slept with black out curtains to block out the floodlights.
I also used biogeometry cubes and earplugs like Eargasam so I could still go outside.
I wrapped myself in EMF blankets to block out harmful frequencies.
I detoxed in the sauna three to four times a week and took supplements to support my liver, including NAC, glycine, and glutathione.
I wore a nice pair of headphones and took mega doses of magnesium for its 300 benefits in the human body.
I took sleep supplements like GABA, L-Theanine and Bamboo Leaf to activate my parasympathetic state and practiced breathwork and yoga daily.
I worked on my Substack while listening to music and kept my house clean by wiping down bookshelves and windows with Dr. Bronner's soap and non-toxic cleaning products.
I used essential oils like Thieves for its immune boosting and anti microbial properties and learned to enjoy the outdoors more by playing tennis and working at a coffee shop.
I practiced patience and learned to work with the noise.
This construction has taught me indestructible amounts of patience.
I still hate it every day; I will never get over it, also I will never move. It's my home, my penthouse suite.
I love every moment here. I will keep you guys updated when they come to a close. I will let you know. I love you all.
- Jack. (Modern Wellness)
If you live next to a construction site and want to block out the toxins, give me a call.
