I know a story is going to be good when I have an abundance of SAT words queued in my head, my grammar is perfect, and I finish writing it in less than an hour. This rarely happens, but when it does, I feel unstoppable.
For some reason, whenever I really need to focus and get work done, I find myself distracted and constantly going on my phone, taking snack breaks, online shopping, looking up places I want to travel to – you get the point. I was telling a friend about how I sometimes struggle to focus and get tasks done, and he suggested trying Brain.fm, a music app designed to help you improve your productivity, focus, and sleep.
Related: 5 Ways to Be More Productive at Work (Hint: They All Take Less Than a Minute)
What Is the Brain.Fm app?
The Brain.fm app doesn’t feature music from artists like Solange, but instead is a database of music that was designed “to sit comfortably in the background” instead of grabbing your attention with a great beat and catchy lyrics. If you’re skeptical about whether the app really works or not, like I was, you can try five sessions for free, and if you’re into it, you can purchase a monthly subscription for $7 or a year-long subscription for $50 (get 20 percent off with this link).
Because the app claims to help improve productivity and focus, and I’m big on research, I went straight to the Brain.fm website to see if I could find any information to support these claims. According to their website, they’ve created music that elicits strong neural phase locking, which allows the neurons in your brain to “engage in various kinds of coordinated activity.”
Simply put, the music they’ve developed is supposed to allow your brain to work more efficiently and help you avoid any sound distractions you may experience as you listen to your favorite songs. The site also stated that as a “science-first company,” they continuously work with neuroscientists and psychologists “to develop ideas, run experiments, and continually improve our music.”
Related: 5 Tips For Reducing Your Work Stress in 2020
What I Like About Brain.Fm
I’m not going to act like listening to Jhené Aiko, Alicia Keys, and all my other favorite singers doesn’t help me get into my groove, because they most definitely do. But lately, when I really want to focus and zone out, I prefer to use the Brain.fm app.
The interface is pretty seamless and easy to use. First, you choose a mental state (focus, relax, sleep, or meditate) and then you choose a sub-category (creative, deep work, study and read, or light work). Based on your selections, the app will automatically start a playlist for you, and if you don’t like it, you can change the mood to options like electronic, grooves, cinematic, piano, and forest sounds. (I’m currently writing this story listening to the Summer canopy soundtrack found in the creative focus category, and I love it because it sounds like I’m in a rainforest.)
Overall, I’ve found that this app helps me get in the zone and get sh*t done, although I still occasionally find myself online shopping! If you’re trying to find ways to improve your focus and productivity, I definitely think it’s worth trying out.
