No matter how driven you are, or how you thrive on deadlines, we all get to the point where we have run ourselves into the ground. Unfortunately, sometimes that point arrives at 3pm on Thursday afternoon. Still two hours in the day to go…and another day after that!
What can you do when you really hit the wall? Pop a pill? Choke down some microwaved coffee? Science shows us that, in this situation, the best thing to reach for is our iPod.
Our brain’s alpha waves, the ones that make us perform at the peak of our abilities, are stimulated by listening to certain types of music. What type of music really depends on our taste and what’s appropriate in the moment. (That’s why we’re drawn to bring Jay-Z or Led Zeppelin to the gym, but play Miles Davis while we’re cooking a great meal.)
For five points right now, tell us what kind of music puts you in a relaxed but focused state. When during the week do you need this kind of brain recharge most?
Remember, thought into action = flow
If you want to learn more about the benefits of listening to music while working, click here.
Comments (10)
Well … I have been working at home for the last few hours and I have been listening to Steely Dan .. and I feel pretty good. Been overwhelmed a ton … it does seem like a little progress.
Heading to the gym. I need music at 140BPM ..
Happy Tuesday
What did you end up listening to at the gym?
Solo piano music for a relaxed focused state works for me. I listen to a Pandora station I’ve setup for this purpose when I need to focus with deep concentration. When I need to perform work that is more checklist oriented, not requiring deep concentration, I’ll play something with more energy and a bigger beat.
Pandora and Spotify are great that way! I’ve found so many new favorites through those channels.
I listen to light office music on yahoo when I need to focus. It is soft enough to relax me but not so soft that it puts me to sleep. I plug my earphones in when there is a lot going on at the office.
I like all kinds of stuff, from Jazz to Classical to Indie and Alternative music, so long as it doesn’t have too much in the way of vocals.
I listen to an eclectic mix…but when working on the computer I love to listen to Jazz.
Sometimes it’s Jazz and sometimes classical…it depends on he kind of work I need to power through.
Glad to see there are so many jazz enthusiasts up in here! In high school, I used to get eyes rolled at me when I said it was my favorite genre of music. (Maybe they thought I was referring to Kenny G?)
And jazz seems to inspire people to say the most profound things.
George Gershwin: Life is a lot like jazz… it’s best when you improvise.
George Foreman: Boxing is like jazz. The better it is, the less people appreciate it.
Herbie Hancock: One thing I like about jazz is that it emphasized doing things differently from what other people were doing.
Van Morrison: The point of jazz is, you do something and then you go on.
Henri Matisse: Jazz is rhythm and meaning.
Blues guitar music nothing too slow… Jonn Lang, Derrick Trucks, or Stevie Ray Vaughn