Good morning!

What are you listening to today?

Did you know that listening to music can help with productivity when working from home?

it's science time

Music can help with memory, anxiety symptoms, concentration and more.

According to a 2014 study on the effects of background music on older adults - 'the processing speed improves with upbeat music, while memory seems to benefit from both upbeat and downbeat music'

It's important to remember you don't need to be productive as soon as you turn on your computer in the morning.

You can use music to ease yourself into the day by starting with something peaceful and gradually building to something more upbeat.

Music Therapist Kirsten Nelson recommends songs like Here Comes The Sun to help you get going, but of course it all depends on your music taste.

From there you can start to move into more upbeat tracks.

According to a 2010 study on the effects of music tempo upon submaximal cycling performance, most test subjects performed best with songs paced around 121bpm.

Nelson referred to these songs as 'power songs'; songs that can boost energy and motivation.

@lizzo certainly does that for us.

Just as everyone has different musical tastes, some people find songs with lyrics less productive.

Instrumental tracks can be just as, if not more, helpful with productivity.

A good example is this popular lofi hip hop radio station on YouTube.

Making playlists for working from home should be a joy. They're a chance to reconnect with songs you love and even discover new music.

As with all things at the moment, don't put any pressure on yourself if you're making one.

We'd love to hear your playlists, whether they're tried and tested or brand new for the current situation, so please send them to us!

Information for this thread came from this article, which also features a lovely playlist - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/15/music-productivity-working-from-home?fbclid=IwAR0tnEKZmwkCGD887r-Ihp4j6-iirL3XMfdoEbY1FPCx5Ry99Bco-rL6SfM