People listen to music for a whole host of reasons, whether they wish to lose themselves in the crowd at a huge electronic dance music festival or they want to hunker down and focus on their studies and work assignments.
It is the latter reason that we focus on here as we take a look at just some of the ways concentration can be boosted for students and workers alike, and the role that music can play in making it happen.
Music and Sleep Make the Perfect Concentration Cocktail
There are lots of lifestyle and business gurus out there who persistently push the idea that the way to get ahead in life is to cut down on sleep, with leaders in their respective fields boasting that they function perfectly well on just a few hours of shuteye each night. However, science flies very much in the face of this nonsense, showing that sleep – and particularly deep sleep – is necessary if a person is expected to concentrate and perform to a high level the following day. This has proven to be the case for everyone from poker pros rights through to high-flying CEOs. You yourself can optimize your concentration in many ways, but one of the best is to ensure you get a good 7+ hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. This allows your mind and body to recover and reset, so you can be at your best the following day.
Of course, some people seriously struggle with conditions like insomnia. Music can play an important role in getting people to conquer such disorders, lulling the mind towards a state of rest, and eventually sleep. There are now tons of playlists out there on music streaming platforms that exist solely for this purpose. So, why not tune in and put yourself on the path to a nice, deep sleep?
Exercise and Music Combine to Boost Concentration
Another proven way to increase focus and concentration is upping your exercise because improving physical fitness comes with multiple cognitive benefits. For many people, music is a key component of their exercise routine, with pumping dance beats able to give them that extra boost during a tough workout and calmer music keeping their heart rate down if they are on a long-distance run or cycle ride.
After a few weeks of adding music and exercise to your weekly norm, you will notice a drastic difference when it comes to concentration. Just remember that this will only be the case if you combine that extra exercise with necessary sleep, otherwise, you will just be tired all the time as your body struggles to adequately recover.
Music Helps Commuters Home In
Another way in which concentration can be enhanced is through good preparation, but this can only be done in the right surroundings. That can be tough for many people, whose commutes to work are often fraught with stress, high temperatures, and enraging delays. All this can mean that workers are left totally frazzled by the time they sit down at their desks, with their concentration taking a knock as a result.
Music can seriously help in such scenarios, allowing people to imagine they are in another world entirely, far removed from the hustle and bustle going on around them. This also goes for those environmentally-minded folk who travel to work by bike or on foot, and who can largely ignore all the fumes and beeping horns of frustrated drivers as they groove and funk their way along the cycle path or pedestrian lane. This approach should leave them ready for a day of high productivity fueled by epic levels of concentration.
