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Juilee Mahimkar

How do you use music to enhance productivity? What kind of music do you prefer while working?

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As a diehard music lover, I find myself listening to music almost all the time. Overtime I have curated my very own playlists that resonate with the task I am about to take up. Most of the times its instrumental tracks that help me while in the focus mode and some upbeat songs keep me fresh while in the execution process. How do you use music to strengthen your daily routine?

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Marina Đurić
I mainly listen to lo-fi tracks as they keep me easier focus without lyrics, and if I'm doing something with raw data, I can listen to regular music. It depends on the mood and how deep in focus I need to be.
Kate Dalessi
I personally find music very distracting. I don't know why, but it takes a lot of my brain space and drags focus away from what I'm supposed to be doing. So I'm forced to work in silence. But if I could, I'd listen to classical music. Mozart, Chopin, and Chaikovski
Juilee Mahimkar
@katyaveremeichik I can totally understand. I guess that happens when we listen to lyrical songs. We tend to get lost in the words only to gradually drift away from our task at hand. Which is why I also prefer some light or instrumental music. Mozart and Chopin being common on my list as well :) Another thing I avoid is listening to any new tracks. I have like a set number of tracks to listen while working and try to discover new ones when I am away from work.
Kate Dalessi
@juilee_mahimkar yeah, absolutely. I've read a study once, that discovered that it's actually not the music itself that we enjoy. Our brain hears the note and predicts the next one, and when the prediction comes true, our brain enjoys the satisfaction of guessing right. That's why harmonious tunes are so pleasant! That's one of the reasons we have favorite songs: they sound exactly like what we expect. If it's familiar, it takes way less energy to process, and your focus won't be dragged from what you're actually doing
Juilee Mahimkar
@katyaveremeichik Oh yeah! that happens like so many times! Plus, when you super good with memorising lyrics, it can be really rewarding. This is exactly why I don't experiment with new songs while working. Didn't come across this insight till now. Thank you so much for sharing! :D
Sakshi Gahlawat
Well it all depends on what I’m doing or how I’m feeling. But my favorites are classical and jazz. I find that they're very relaxing and enjoyable to listen to. Listening to music helps me stay productive and focused throughout the day.
Juilee Mahimkar
@sakshi_gahlawat So true! Having a positive and relaxed mindset is crucial to think clearly while working. And music helps a lot.✨ Thank you for putting it so nicely Sakshi. :)
Tanoy Chowdhury
I'm also a fan of listening to instrumental music while working. Piano and jazz are my favourites. But, I keep experimenting with music genres. Right now, I'm digging lofi music, nature sounds, and deep hyper focus binaural beats.
Juilee Mahimkar
@tanoy27 That is great! I have been listening to a lot of lofi tracks and even jazz while my study and reading sessions. The songs + the reading activity just amplifies the experience. And surprisingly it also affects my reading speed. I noticed I can focus for longer duration when I have the right music playing. I think its when we get engrossed in our task not realising that a song is actually being played, thats when we can judge if we chose he right track. The right kind of music just gets camouflaged with our mindset and we can get into the zone 🔥
Gauri Apte
@juilee_mahimkar I agree. For all those who do sedentary work and work long hours, it is difficult to game up every single time. Being a part of creative community it is important that we keep our mind fresh and music plays an important part in it . I personally like listening to instrumental and Indian classical while working, mostly because they are longer in length and keep us in particular steady zone for a long time.
Juilee Mahimkar
@gauri_apte Love your music taste!😋 Indian classical is surreal. I often listen to it while painting. It kinda helps me dive into my imaginations and explore new things. Thank you Gauri for sharing your thoughts :)
Ksusha
I prefer electronic music, like techno mostly its very fast and energetic helps to be in tone during working
Juilee Mahimkar
@ksusha_golovchenko I haven't listened to techno music much while working. But I can totally relate it with the energy aspect. 💯 I just happened to relate it more with a dance mode. But I think it can be really great when you are in get-that-shit-done kinda mode 🔥 Thank you so much for sharing! You just made me wanna listen to it:P
Zoe Marais
I find if you think too much about the music it's actually more distracting than not. Recently we've been bumping poolsuite.net mixes at the office and it's been such a vibe!
Juilee Mahimkar
@zoe_marais That is so true. Just checked out poolsuite.net and ✨I JUST CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH! ✨ It's just the kind of thing I prefer while working. Thank you so much for sharing 😃
Andrey Lipkovskiy
I combine techno music with https://coffitivity.com which helps me to focus on my work. This increases my productivity because it makes me feel like I'm working from the public place
Juilee Mahimkar
@lipkovskiy oh! thats such a cool way to do it! There is something about a cafe vibe that just works magically sometimes. Especially while working from home. Ambient music can really help in switching our mindset on /off work mode. Thank you for sharing this Andrey! :)
Rehan Choudhry
I listen to a playlist I’ve heard 1000s of times. The songs are so familiar that it all fades into the background and keeps me focused. New music distracts me.
Juilee Mahimkar
@rehan_choudhry1 Absolutely💯 I sometimes happen to play 1 song on loop for like forever!🙈 Like it helps to keep my train of thoughts undisturbed. And once I am done, that's when I realize it's been too long and I need to change the track! Don't know if that happens with anyone else 🤭
Martina Hackbartt
I wouldn't know how to define the music I like listening to while working. But lately, I've been listening to a Spotify mix someone recommended here on Product Hunt, it's called Wild Mint Infusion https://open.spotify.com/playlis...
Zoon Zookla
Agree, instrumental has global appeal. Sometimes devotional tracks (which is specific to Indian- Hindu culture I guess).
Juilee Mahimkar
@zoon_s Can't agree enough!💫 Indian classical and instrumental tracks can help us engage deeply into our work. Just like some audience here just like heavy metal and upbeat music to dive into fire mode. However I too am more inclined towards classical, instrumental beats. :) Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Pierre Thompson
I personally like working to a youtube channel called 'Lofi Girl'. It's a 24/7 streaming channel that plays lofi hip hop instrumentals (no lyrics). I find that lyrics often clog my brain and I struggle to concentrate. You can find the channel here:
Juilee Mahimkar
@pwthompson97 Can't agree more! Have been listening to it since quite some time. 💯 Sometimes it makes me feel I am living in some anime world😋 surrounded by this beautiful background tracks. Just helps me maintain my pace and keep moving ahead. Thank you for sharing it here!
Utku Uzun
It depends on if I'm in a hurry or not :)
Juilee Mahimkar
@utkuuzun Hahaha so true!! I have this playlist of 'Spiderman into Spider verse' tracks which I play when I need to get tasks done in a super fast speed! And it pretty much always works! :D So glad someone brought this up! Thank you for sharing Utku :)
Brad
Calm and relaxing music without lyrics.
Juilee Mahimkar
@brad_fusion I guess its the best kind to work with. I noticed it i great for building focus. But does it affect your working speed? Like, does the calmness and tranquility make you feel super at ease and you lose track of time and end up taking more time than usual for a particular task? Because that happened with me. Thats when which I started switching my music as per task at hand.
Fabian Maume
I usually always work with music. I have even a playlist dedicated to working on NLP applications: https://open.spotify.com/playlis...
Juilee Mahimkar
@fabian_maume Thank you so much for sharing Fabian! Some of them are really intense and bring the right kinda energy for working. Great playlist ✨
Bilal Hassan
Slow and instrumental tracks help a lot for me.
Bhavna Singh
It completely depends on the type of work you are involved in, if I am doing some work which don't have any dependency on anyone else I like to hear some soft and light music which gives me pleasure without being interrupted also I prefer listening to white noises and it provides the relaxation to the level of a nap , also I feel my high productivity.
Sina Zargaran
I actually use instrumentals without vocals. Vocals distract me haha. So either classical, or techno/house. Also binural beats, or those frequency sound tracks on YouTube help.
Juilee Mahimkar
@sina_zargaran Relatable💯I too find binural beats great for my focused work. Thank you Sina for sharing :)
Rishab Sharma
My favourites are from Amazon Prime, especially a curated playlist called 'Acoustic Pop For Work'. It's a mix of soothing yet upbeat country-styled music & just keeps you entwined with your work. Do give it a try & thank me later :D
Shreya Tawade
Definitely! Music is an inseparable part of my life. I prefer listening to songs that have an unplugged soothing vibe like Lofi music or 70 - 80s classics that keeps me focused for a significant amount of time and in turn boost my productivity.