ASMR Sounds for Zen Concentration and Focus: Work and Study (4 min read)
By Ma Dingding
You want to improve your concentration?
You want to have better focus?
You are a bit ADD, ADHD, and you need sound to force your focus in order to be productive?
I understand you.
I suffer from this modern affliction too.
I use ASMR sounds to focus. But the older I get, and the more I meditate, the less I need artificial elements to help me focus.
Depending on the season, the time of the day, the environment, the task I am working on, the time I woke up, how I feel, the energy level I have, the amount of tea I drank… I may or may not use some sounds to “guide my focus”.
Generally speaking, if I work in a noisy environment like an office (eh, sometimes we do not have the choice) or a café (which I avoid,) I will use headphones to block the noise and in some occasions even use earplugs.
If I work from home, my mornings need to be very quiet (which is why I wake up early, to enjoy the morning’s silence.)
But when I feel, yes it is an emotional argument here, feel, when I feel like guiding my focus and forcing my concentration, I use background noise.
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I listed below what I avoid, and what I indulge in when it comes to sounds and music for concentration.
If you have great suggestions and would like to make me and the community discover some treasures, please feel free to share with us
Avoid
I never listen to music with lyrics. It influences the subconscious and steals away your concentration.
I never select music that has fast tempo. It influences the physiology, the biological rhythm and the heartbeat.
I never choose music that has unstable beats. Unstable input creates… unstable output.
If you are interested in top performance and being in the moment, I suggest that you also avoid music with lyrics, fast tempo and unstable beats.
It is a well-know trick that shopping malls use music with slow beats, so that you stay longer and take you time strolling around.
On the opposite, restaurants use fast-tempo music so that you eat and get out as soon as possible… unless the restaurant is expensive and they aim to sell you a 7 course meal of course.
The quality of what we listen to is as important. If you listen to music that contains strong language… it influences you, consciously or unconsciously, in a negative manner for sure.
The Lesson
Both our physiology and our psyche are influenced by input.
This includes the quality of our sleep, what we eat, what we drink, what we watch, what we see… but also what we listen to.
- Steady Background Sounds: high need for focus
- Sounds of Nature or Meditation Music: medium need for focus
- Classical or Jazz Music: lower need for focus
- “Housy” Hip Hop Music: for my own amusement
The less focus I have, the more I will listen to Steady Background Sounds. They tend to really help me reach a state of “flow.”
The more natural focus I have, or the less focus the task requires, the more I will listen to Sounds of Nature or Meditation Music as well as Classical or Jazz Music.
At the end of the day, when I get a bit tired, I tend to go for music that brings some good feelings rather than enhances mental attention.
I list below my favorite sounds and music, all on Youtube:
Steady Background Sounds
Interstellar Bedroom Ambience – Relaxing Spaceship Sleeping Quarters (White Noise, ASMR, Relaxation)
STUDY POWER | Focus, Increase Concentration, Calm Your Mind | White Noise For Homework & School
Studying White Noise | Focus on Homework, Test Prep, School | 10 Hours Study Sound
Airplane White Noise in 1st Class | Sleep, Study, Focus | 10 Hour Plane Sound
Accelerated Learning - Gamma Waves for Focus, Concentration, Memory - Monaural Beats - Focus Music
(1 HOUR) Cognition Enhancer - Clearer, Smarter Thinking - Learning & Intelligence ISOCHRONIC
3 Hours of Studying & Creativity Music - Concentration Music - Focus and Background Music
Sounds of Nature
EPIC THUNDER & RAIN | Rainstorm Sounds For Relaxing, Focus or Sleep | White Noise 10 Hours
Fireplace 10 hours full HD
Campfire Night Sounds In The Great Outdoors With Owls & Cicadas Ambiance For Sleep And Relaxation
Forest Birdsong - Relaxing Nature Sounds - Birds Chirping - REALTIME - NO LOOP - 2 Hours - HD 1080p
Sound of insects 8 hours/Night of summer in Japan
Crackling Mountain Campfire with Relaxing River, Wind and Fire Sounds (HD)
Sleep and Relaxation Nature Sounds, Crickets Summer Night - Sleep Music
Meditation Music
THE GOD FREQUENCY | Remove Self Limiting Beliefs | 963 Hz | Kundalini Energy
THE DEEPEST OM || 108 Times || Peaceful OM Mantra Meditation
1 HOUR Japanese Temple Bell Sound At 'Hondo' for Relaxing ,Healing And Zen
396 Hz ❯ LET GO of FEAR ❯ Remove NEGATIVE BLOCKS ❯ Marimba Meditation Music
[10 Hours] Koshi Wind Chimes Earth, Air, Water, Fire - Video & Audio [1080HD] SlowTV
Tibetan Healing Sounds #1 -11 hours - Tibetan bowls for meditation, relaxation, calming, healing
CHOIR sings OM SO HUM Mantra (Must Listen)
Classical Music
Mozart Classical Music for Studying, Concentration, Relaxation | Study Music | Piano Instrumental
Classical Music for Reading - Mozart, Chopin, Debussy, Tchaikovsky...
Jazz Music
New York Jazz Lounge - Bar Jazz Classics
Relaxing Jazz Music - Background Chill Out Music - Music For Relax,Study,Work
Rainy Day at the Coffee Shop Ambiance - 8 Hours of Rain, background chatter and Jazz Music
“Housy” Hip Hop Music to Chill and Relax
24/7 lofi hip hop radio - beats to study/chill/relax
lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to
Nujabes - Modal Soul
Nujabes - Soul Searching
Images Attribution:
Images come from Unsplash.com
Videos come from Youtube.com
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