How Sounds Make You More Productive and Focused

 

Originally published on the official Planndu blog

Have you ever wondered why you find the sound of birds relaxing or why some people listen to raindrop sounds to help them concentrate and study?
It’s all about how your brain gets distracted and how certain sounds can prevent it.
Of course, not every sound is beneficial to us. Listening to someone speak or listening to audio with lyrics may only distract you further. If your task requires a little more thought and concentration, it’s better to choose audio without lyrics.
Matching your audio environment to your task can boost your productivity, enhance cognitive function, and concentration and have a great effect on your moods and attitudes.

Here’s a list of some of the best sounds to listen to while working or studying:

Birds

Bird sounds enforce a human’s innate connection with nature; when birds sing, we know we are safe — when they quiet down, we panic. This instinctive familiarity with bird songs plays a subconscious role in our minds. That’s why many students will play bird noises in the background while they study or do homework. Numerous studies have shown that the sounds of birds can have a relaxing effect on us, much the same as other nature sounds do, but in terms of background noise to foster thinking and mental clarity, listening to bird music is by far the best option.

Rain

The natural sound of the rain provides a pure white noise ambiance to help you study and focus.
Studies indicate that listening to the sound of rain boosts arithmetic ability.
Rain also provides relaxation and calm, healing, comfort, and revitalization.
If you have problems focusing on your work or studies, try listening to the calming sounds of rain.

Fireplace

One of the most soothing sounds is the crackling that fire makes. Findings confirm that campfires induce relaxation as part of a multi-sensory, absorptive, and social experience.
Similar to the sound of rain, fire cracking helps us stay concentrated and relaxed, some people prefer fire noise when days are getting colder.

Ocean

Evidence shows ocean sound may help with concentration and reduce stress. The power of the ocean to bring mental health benefits to humans is a growing field of research as scientists increasingly understand. A study showed that employees felt happier and were more productive when they listened to natural sounds like the ocean waves.

Brown noise

You might well have heard of brown noise before. It sounds a bit like the static noise you used to get on old TVs when they weren’t tuned.
These static sounds won’t draw your attention away, like music, radio or the TV will because this tone is designed much more for humans by actually removing a larger proportion of high frequencies altogether.
The result is similar to listening to the sounds of nature, like water that gently flows in a river.
It helps you concentrate and get work done, play it at a volume that’s loud enough to drown out soft noises in your environment but not too distracting. It’s also my preferred tone to work with.

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