Have you ever tried working while listening to one song on repeat for hours? It might sound strange, but this is actually a productivity hack many people use.
Listening to the same song on repeat was found to increase focus and overall productivity. It can be a great help if you have difficulty maintaining your focus on a specific task or work. In this article, we’ll further explore this concept and how it can improve your productivity.
How Does Listening to One Song on Repeat for Hours Work?
“When you listen to a song over and over again, it can help you do some reflective listening to think.”-Alice Honig, PhD
A song can resonate with your soul. For instance, if you’re feeling gloomy, you might listen to sad songs multiple times because they reflect what you’re going through and somehow validate your emotions. That’s also the same thing if you want to work.
Listening to one song on repeat can help you achieve a flow state of mind. It’s like a white noise that blocks out distractions and helps you become fully absorbed and engaged in the task at hand. It can also provide a sense of familiarity and comfort, so you can easily focus and be motivated to work.
How Listening to the Same Music for Hours Boosts Focus? (The Science)
Linking productivity with the concept of listening to one song on repeat might seem strange, but there’s a science behind it. First, listening to music activates the brain to release dopamine, which is a hormone associated with pleasure and motivation.
Most of the time, we feel a rush of dopamine when we perform activities that we consider fun or rewarding like eating, playing games, or spending time with a loved one. And even though working isn’t that enjoyable, we can keep ourselves motivated because of the dopamine that is released when we listen to music.
Some studies also show that listening to familiar songs reduces the need for cognitive processing, allowing us to direct our attention toward other things like working. This helps increase our focus and, in turn, our productivity.
The Best Songs to Listen to on Repeat
If you don’t know what song will help improve your focus, here are positive and upbeat songs you can try listening to.:
- “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee
- “Good as Hell” by Lizzo
- “Here Comes The Sun” by The Beatles
- “Dynamite” by BTS
- “Special” by Lizzo ft. SZA
- “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and The Waves
- “I am Woman” by Emmy Meli
- “Home” by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
- “Wavin’ Flag” by K’NAAN
Conclusion
Note that everyone’s tastes are different, so you may find that another song works better for you. Some even prefer instrumental or classical songs that last for hours to finish. The key here is to choose a song that you enjoy, so don’t be afraid to try things out until you find the right songs.
