Noisy coworkers are not always loud and obnoxious.  Sometimes they just make weird, annoying noises.  A friend of mine vented a story to me recently, and I'm sure you can feel her pain. 

The problem: a coworker makes lots of - how shall I put it - mouth noises.  Popping gum, smacking on chips, popcorn, taffy - and then sucking on her teeth as a substitute for dental floss.  There are lots of clueless coworkers like this.  While working on spreadsheets or other jobs requiring concentration, hearing such noises can (or maybe should) be a valid defense for justifiable homicide. 

But put down the stapler or other blunt desktop object.  While you can't really kill your annoying noisy coworker, here are a few tips to maintain your sanity under such conditions. 

1) Play music.  Headphones (particularly the over-ear or noise-canceling variety) are often to be had for relatively little investment, and can keep you relaxed and productive.

2) Frequent walks.  It's a scientifically-proven fact that taking regular, short strolls away from your computer screen and chair can have great energy and concentration-boosting effects, to say nothing about helping you escape the teeth-sucking noises and keep your sanity.  It also can prevent office-related repetitive strain injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

3) Buy a white noise machine.  These vary widely in price and effectiveness.  On the low end, you can get a white noise CD for virtually nothing and play it through your computer speakers.  The low-end ones often have a noticeable loop, though, so it may be worth investing a little more.  Basically, these drown out the annoying noise from your cube-mate with a calming, breezy sound that your mind tends to tune out, allowing you to concentrate on your spreadsheet… instead of your coworker's teeth!

What works for you?