When Lyrics Ruin Your Productivity | Little Cloud In The Valley

When I really have to focus on something, I usually need some sort of consistent background noise. Occasionally I can get away with listening to my favorite tunes, but most of the time, I get distracted and end up singing along to the songs instead of working. Makes things really awkward for my coworkers…

Since my boyfriend codes and stuff (I am not adept at describing exactly what he does), I asked him what he does to stay focused. He mentioned that he likes to listen to white noise, this in particular. It's helpful when I'm on a time crunch to write something for work. But what about for days that you are just struggling to focus and need something to help you get back on track?

There are simple sounds that are soothing. Rain, wind in the trees, ocean waves, a toasty fireplace...all that good stuff.

There are really great lo-fi music channels like Chillhop Music and BLUME (you find more after listening to different videos). Some playlists can be found in Spotify as well, but I personally prefer YouTube. I like the live streaming aspect some channels have to offer as well as the recommendations.

Have you tried opening multiple tabs at once with different sounds? This allows you to mix and match sounds to your liking. For example, I found out that I really liked playing a fireplace video while listening to rain. It makes me feel as if I’m cozied up on a couch in a cabin sipping on hot chocolate. I also love combining rain and thunder sounds with lo-fi or cafe music. I imagine sitting in the corner of a cafe snacking on a croissant and looking out the window.

Basic Tip: Play around with the volume of each sound! You can adjust the volume on each YouTube video, which can come in handy. You might want to have the rain sounds at a lower volume than the fireplace sounds because you imagine being indoors.

Here are some of my top choices:

Chill Beats: