Rhythm and Results: The Benefits of Music for Focus
Have you ever listened to a song, or mix and had it cheer you up? Or maybe you have a Spotify playlist you throw on when you have work to get done and you need to “Get In The Zone”.
Ever wonder why music has the ability to change our mood, allow us to focus, or increase our productivity? One word…
SCIENCE!
This is a super exciting topic for me to talk about. As a DJ, I’ve seen the power that music has, but I never understood why.
Being an engineer (read: nerd) I found a few articles published in scientific journals and read through them. Good news for you is that I won’t bore you with all the specifics, but will hit some key points as I think there is a lot to learn here.
ALSO - at the end I’ll include a few resources for where you can find music/sounds to help you focus!
Ok, Little Bit of Nerdy Science First
Brainwaves are electrical patterns that are produced by the brain and can be measured using machines called electroencephalography (EEG), often referred to as the “Window Of The Mind”. They provide information about the activity of different regions of the brain and reflect different levels of mental states. There are five main types of brainwaves:
Delta waves (0.5-4 Hz): These are the slowest brainwaves and are associated with deep sleep.
Theta waves (4-8 Hz): Theta waves are associated with light sleep and deep relaxation. They also play a role in creativity and intuition.
Alpha waves (8-12 Hz): Alpha waves are associated with relaxation and focus. They are commonly observed in people who are in a state of meditation or deep relaxation. (This is the one we care about here)
Beta waves (12-30 Hz): Beta waves are associated with a state of alertness and arousal. They are dominant during periods of active thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Gamma waves (30-100 Hz): Gamma waves are the fastest brainwaves and are associated with higher cognitive functions, such as attention and perception.
Music has been shown to affect brain waves and emotions by activating the release of neurotransmitters and hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin, which can have a positive impact on mood and focus. When listening to music, certain brain waves (such as alpha waves) can increase, leading to a relaxed and focused state of mind. Music can help people focus by providing a calming background noise and drowning out distractions.
What Exactly Happens?(In simple terms)
The reasons music helps us focus:
Music drowns out other sounds & distractions
Increases alpha brain waves
Focuses our cognitive resources
The interesting item here is #3.
"Cognitive Resources" are the mental processes and capabilities involved in perception, attention, memory, and decision-making. Essentially how much brain power you have to dedicate to something.
When we listen to something enjoyable, we place less attention on the music than if it was something we didn't enjoy.
What this ends up meaning is that background sound is gone, our brain is in a focused state, and the majority of our brain power is focused on the task at hand!
What Music is The Best Music to Listen to for Better Focus?
Unfortunately, there is no clear cut answer here. A lot of this is driven by an individual's own personal preference in music.
Some prefer music with lyrics, others without.
Similarly, some people prefer instrumental or ambient music for focus, while others find it too boring.
Ultimately, the best type of music for focus is the one that helps you maintain focus and keep distractions at bay.
When trying to find what works best for you, a generally accpeted good place to start is with something that is soothing and maybe even a little on the Lo-Fi side.
Some of My Personal Faves
Scientific Journal References:
https://assets.pubpub.org/m2h1swki/41643404198032.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6130927/