Crying babies on an airplane, loud cell phone talkers at the next table, a blaring TV in the adjoining hotel room—when you're trying to work, unwanted noise seems everywhere. Trying to concentrate amid all of that hubbub can seem impossible, but there are some strategies for turning down the volume:

Train your brain
If frequent travels mean continuous exposure to noisy areas, concentration can be seen as a skill and one that has to be learned and honed in on over time. That translates to practice, practice, practice.

One good technique to practice next time you're in a crowded room is to attempt to focus on one conversation nearby, effectively "tweezing out" a single strand from the auditory mix.

When done often enough, this trains the mind to drone out the other noise into background sound; when it comes time to get some work done, the same technique can be employed to "push out" unnecessary chatter.

Meditation
Training your mind to make sound into a kind of auditory wallpaper can be kicked up to the next level through regular meditation.

Scientists used to believe that the "startle reflex"—an involuntary response to unexpected stimulus like sudden noises or sights—couldn't be suppressed simply by force of will.

Then, during a test with a Tibetan monk in which the sound of a firecracker was piped into the room where he sat, researchers found that he was unaffected. The monk later noted that he had heard the sound, but felt like it was "neutral" because he'd been in a meditative state.

Numerous studies have shown the positive effects of meditation on workplace productivity, including increased concentration overall, more willingness to collaborate with others, improved attention and reduced stress. With all those benefits, why not try a little inner-peace break once a day?

There are scads of books and CDs that offer meditation instruction, and users can find advice on iTunes and online through meditation centers. In general, the best way to start your journey isn't by thinking of meditation as a bit of a kooky spiritual practice, but rather as a way to calm down the chatter in your own mind.

As author Jon Kabat-Zinn notes, "...try just listening to sound when you meditate. This does not mean listening for sounds, rather, just hearing what is here to be heard, moment by moment, without judging or thinking about them. Just hearing them as pure sound."

Take a lesson from the mindfulness expert himself by listening to his interesting presentation on Coming to Our Senses.

Noise-canceling headphones
Not into the meditation practice sessions or simply want a way for silence, pronto? Then turn to technology. Noise-canceling headphones of today aren't quite like the burger-bun of older headphones types which used to reduce noise with about the same efficiency as putting your hands over your ears.

Instead, they reduce unwanted sounds with "active noise control," which involves putting a teensy microphone near the ear that generates a sound wave based on the cacophony that's occurring outside the headphones. In other words, the headphones figure out what the annoying sounds are around you and cancel them out by adjusting the sound waves inside the device.

In the past year, many headphone developers have also managed to make the devices smaller, so they aren't reminiscent of those embarrassing 1970s radio headphones seen on every boogie-inspired rollerskater. Look for brands like Bose, JVC, Sennheiser, Logitech and others, to deliver the quiet you crave.

And if all else fails, reschedule work for later in the day or wake up earlier to enjoy the morning silence that falls over coffee shops and hotels. Then, you can not only delight in the noise around you, but maybe contribute to it as well.