Types of music to listen to while working

People put on music to listen to while working for myriad reasons. Some may use it to pump themselves up, while others may lean on it as a tool for tightening their concentration. I, for one, often work in silence, but while sheltering in place to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, I’ve had a rough time staying motivated, so I’ve since reconsidered my stance on the powers of music for improving productivity. (I’ll try anything right now.) And in fact, after finding a YouTube station titled entitled Lofi Hip Hop Radio—Beats to Relax/Study To, I’ve completely changed my stance on music to listen to while working. But my discovery did lead me to wonder: What makes certain pieces of music more work-friendly than others?

As it turns out, a piece of music being “work-friendly” is entirely subjective and dependent on what you, as a worker, find to be effective. “Our goal should be to continually look for those things that help us tune into our authentic frequencies,” says career coach Erin Hatzikostas. “Once you can find your right frequency, then it’s just a matter of turning the volume up higher and higher. Music isn’t the only answer, but it’s more than a metaphor; music can be a literal catalyst to help us tune into our highest, truest vibrational frequency.”

Not sure where to start when it comes to finding your personal frequency? Career coach Maggie Mistal, for one, says she’s found personal success in optimizing music for her Ayurvedic dosha of pitta. “In Ayurveda, it’s believed that music can help balance out one’s energy. So I looked up music for balancing pitta, and found flute music.” She says it’s helped her stay calm and focused and productive.

Below find 5-genre playlist of music to listen to while working

1. Classical music

2. Ambient music (something very placid)

3. Video game music

4. Music infused with nature sounds

And finally, if you soft music with a gentle patter of rain, we have…

5. Lofi hip-hop beats to relax or study to