Most of us, if not all, when we are working we like to listen to music to keep us motivated and focused during work. But sometimes, it might be counterproductive because we tend to groove, sing, and dance along with it. Though it is good that we manage to catch a break from work every now and then, it might distract us from the important tasks at hand. Especially now that we are working from home, we have very little to no supervision from any of our colleagues and we are free to do whatever we want in the comfort of our own homes. Hence, we need to have tools to help us curb the strong urge to groove, sing, and dance along with it.
This time, BGC Group, we've created a list of Spotify playlists to keep you company Scan the QR codes or click on the links to be directed to the Spotify playlists!
1) Disney Piano Covers
Disney has accompanied us since we were children and they still do till this day. Every time the theme song (When You Wish Upon a Star – Pinocchio OST) plays you know that the next hour and more will be the happiest time of your whole day. Disney songs remind us of our innocent, carefree childhood which will help us relax and calm down during a stressful day at work. Sometimes the lyrics might be a little distracting, and it urges you to sing along, which is fine if you are good at multitasking. If not, you would be typing out the lyrics to “Make a Man Outta You” while you are working, and then you have to redo that task again. That is why Disney piano covers will be perfect for those who love Disney!
2) Lo-Fi Music
Lo-Fi, is a term for music where you can hear imperfections that would typically deem as errors in the recording process. But in recent times, these “mistakes” have become an intentional part of the listening experience, because the “mistakes” are familiar sounds that we hear on the daily basis. Sounds such as the tapping of pens, the rustling of papers, it makes it sound as though these songs are being played through the walls. You can either focus on what you’re listening to, or you can let it fade in the background because after all, they are music with subtle background noises.
3) This is Studio Ghibli
Known for their iconic movies such as My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away, their background music is the essential component of the magic surrounding their movies as they are calming and tender. Most of their song pieces are put together with orchestra music, some are put together with electronic music as the composer Joe Hisaishi has the great ability to transit beautifully between the two while retaining his grip on melody and minimalism. With the calming effect of the magical background music, you are bound to be able to focus beautifully, while feeling like the main character of a Studio Ghibli anime movie.
4) Sounds of Nature
This is very subjective to many because the music of nature might remind people of their alarm clocks, and it is quite often that people will find it annoying to hear their alarm clock constantly. However, nature noises work in a similar fashion as the Lo-Fi music as they are literally background noises in nature. Even though nature noises are encouraged to people who can’t sleep, to play it in the background while they attempt to sleep, nature noises can be used to encouraged people to stay focused as it helps us to stay calm and relaxed through the tough periods of work.
5) Piano Covers of Contemporary/Popular songs
A lot of times when we work while listening to contemporary and popular songs, we tend to sing along. If we do get the lyrics wrong, we might spend some time searching it up or even watch the music video just to get the lyrics right. This will just halt all progress that you have made in the day. To solve this, you can listen to the piano covers of your favourite songs. They are peaceful, wordless, and calming. What’s not to love about piano covers? They sound familiar because you do know the song, and now they function as background sound that is peaceful.
6) Instrumental covers of Contemporary/Popular songs
Like the point above, this is for the people who prefer the instrumental covers of their favourite contemporary and popular songs over the piano versions of the covers. They have the same functions as their counterparts, piano covers, though they may not sound as peaceful and tranquil, they still instil a sense of calm in their listeners. They have the ability to tap on the creative side of your brain to help you come up with better ideas that will improve your work.
Rounding it up
Now that you know that music has the ability to improve our focus and in the long run improve our job performance, wouldn’t you be intrigued to try it out for yourself too? Now that most of us are working from home, our productivity level might be lacking behind as we might be tempted to do other things. For some, the bed might be calling your name for most parts of the day, especially after lunch (#foodcomagang). Or the lack of supervision encourages you to do other things other than working. With this list of Spotify playlists, we hope that this will be able to increase your productivity!.
Of course, there are other songs that may not be on the list, and it works for you because everyone is unique, we are all built differently, so you do you! If you find something else that helps you increase your focus and productivity, just do it and share it with us in the comment section down below. This list is not exhaustive as well, so feel free to share with us your go-to Spotify playlists for work!
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