Description
Focus Sounds are sounds that help with concentration and often increase productivity. These sounds can range from ambient sounds, such as rainfall, a busy cafe, and the ocean, to white noise to binaural beats.
Time Commitment
Anytime
Suggested Frequency
Use focus sounds as much as you’d like
Time of Day
Anytime
How to Do It
Listen to the sounds of your choice when you need to focus.
Required Equipment
A smartphone, computer, or any device that can play sound. You might also need headphones if other people are around.
Benefits
- May improve focus
- May increase productivity
- May improve decision-making skills
- May improve balance and muscle function
Why it works
Multiple studies have proven that mild background noise can improve focus and creativity in addition to helping us relax and get work done more effectively.
Possible Side Effects
None.
Tips
- Try using different focus sounds while doing various tasks. While white noise is proven to help with focus, ambient sounds are proven to help with creativity.
- Monitor your volume. Too much or too little noise can keep you distracted. 70-90 decibels is the recommended volume level.
- Looking for some focus sounds? Try playlists on YouTube and Spotify!
Supporting Studies and Articles
- https://www.soundproofcow.com/noise-at-work/
- https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006301
- https://asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/1.4920363
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276290360_Is_Noise_Always_Bad_Exploring_the_Effects_of_Ambient_Noise_on_Creative_Cognition
