From Couch to Conference Call: The Music That Keeps Me Sane While Working From Home

One might think that silence would be the most beneficial for creating a space for your thoughts to flow and genius to spew. However, I find it very hard to focus when it’s too quiet. Turns out that I’m not alone. Pre-COVID co-working spaces like WeWork and coffee shops were the go-to spots for being in an environment with just the right amount of noise. However, many of us often found that these places could easily turn into spaces with too much noise, full of time-wasting distractions.

Now that many of us have been working from home for almost a year, we’ve gotten better at figuring out just what we need to set the right mood at home. For a while, I used to keep the tv on in my house and let it run as background noise. However, every now and again, something would catch my ear and I’d find myself distracted by whatever was on the screen.

Then, I turned to play my normal music faves on Spotify. That too would often leave me distracted as I’d find myself singing along or even up out of my seat dancing. Singing and dancing are great food for the soul and we definitely need that while trying to deal with the new normal created by this pandemic. But, when there is work to do that has to wait. It took me a few months but I finally figured out that having ambient upbeat music was the best way for me to stay energized and focused. Wouldn’t you know it, the science agrees.

Most composers write music specifically to grab your attention, which makes it distracting when you’re trying to focus. Ambient music is written without ‘surprises’ or a lot of musical variety. It might be boring to listen to by itself, but could pair well with another activity, like studying, without ruining your concentration.

Lindsey Macchiarella

According to a study by Florida National University, the minimal beats and rhythms of ambient music–often used as background nose–are so effective that it is able to put listeners’ senses at rest, resulting in lower blood pressure and heart rate. My Work From Home Happy Vibes Spotify Playlist was curated to give you hours of music to help you power through your work day and maximize productivity.

The songs on my Work From Home Happy Vibes Spotify Playlist were specifically chosen to keep you energized and help you ward off stress without being distracting. I hope you enjoy it. If you have any suggestions of songs that should be added, please let me know, and be sure to Follow me and give ❤️ on Spotify!