Music actually is not just a means of entertaining ourselves. Other than that, it can also encourage creativity and also would help us to become more productive. Listening to music can be so therapeutic, relieving feelings of stress so that you can concentrate better. In fact, plenty of people swear by music as a helpful tool for studying and working.
Studies have shown that music produces several positive effects on a human’s body and brain. Music activates both the left and right brain at the same time, and the activation of both hemispheres can maximize learning and improve memory. These are 5 songs that have been scientifically proven that can really help you to improve your own focus.
1) Classical Music
Research done in French universities have shown that listening to classical music while studying can increase your test scores. Students lectured in a room with classical music in the background did significantly better on a quiz than students in a room with no music.
2) Meditation Music
Stress is not your friend when you need to focus. Music used for the purpose of meditation facilitates your mind and body’s ability to relax into a state of calmness. The effects of meditation music have been studied on cancer patients to decrease their levels of stress and increase their probability of healing and physiological markers of health.
3) Instrumentals
From movie and video game soundtracks to trance jazz, the pure melody of the instrumentals music gives your brain a break from trying to make sense of song lyrics in addition to concentrating on the 2,300 words you still have to knock out on your essay.
4) Nature & Rain Sounds
Nature relaxes us as it takes us away from the beeps and honks of city living and brings us to a state of relaxation and contentment. In a 2010 study, the participants who completed a challenging math problem that was followed by 10 minutes of nature sounds experienced greater sympathetic nervous system relaxation than the control group. Whether it be the sound of rain, ocean waves or the jungle, the sounds of nature manage to silence any annoying brain blabber and allow you to focus on the task at hand with surprising clarity.
5) Brainwave Entrainment
Brainwave entrainment is the scientific term of synchronizing your brain’s neuron activity to the rhythm of sound. There are two types of Brainwave Entrainment:
- Binaural beats: Binaural beats utilize your brains natural ability to fill in sensory gaps by emitting sounds of two different frequencies into each ear. This causes the brain to detect the variance between these two frequencies and create its own frequency from the difference between the two.
- Isochronic Tones: Research has said that the brain actually functions most optimally during the silence between sounds. This is why drumming can be so entrancing.
Sources: Spoon University.