Focus Music: How to Concentrate for the Solopreneur

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Music for Focus and Concentration

It happens to all of us. You’re trying to finish a blog post or a project for work when your realize that you’re singing songs from the latest Disney musical under your breath. Darn kids!

I have been struggling especially hard now that all three kids are out on summer vacation.

It is impossible to concentrate on anything!

I’ve tried using music but am distracted by anything with words. I’ve tried classical but it just wasn’t working for me.

Luckily, Rosemarie Groner posted a tip in one of the Facebook groups I am a member of. She is a big fan of Focus at Will and that led me to find that there are all sorts of apps and stations that create sounds to help you focus.

I’ve created a list of some of my favorites so you can find your focus too!

Focus Music and Sound Apps

Focus at Will

You can use Focus at Will free for two weeks and then it is $9.95 a month. I signed up and tried Einstein’s Genius station first. You can choose three levels of energy, low, medium and high. I played around a little but didn’t like that station. Next I tried Focus Spa and that was pretty perfect. Very gentle and soothing, great for concentrating. This is a great choice if you have the money. You can set timers for tasks, track your productivity and skip tracks.

Noisli

Noisli lets you mix and match various sounds to create the perfect atmosphere for you. They have lots of nature sounds, wind, rain, waves, etc. There are also coffee shop sounds, a fan and some white noise settings. Noisli is free and if you create an account you can save your favorite combos and use a task timer.

“We hypothesize that “natural” sounds as masking sounds have the ability to enhance cognitive functioning, optimize the ability to concentrate, and increase overall worker satisfaction.” – Research from Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst.

Brain.fm

This station has three choices when you log in, Productivity, Relaxation and Sleep. You can set a time for 30 minutes, 1 hour or 2 hours. I choose Focus and enjoyed the sounds. They say it works best with headphones which I don’t like using for long periods of time. Brain.fm will give you 10 free sessions and then it is $6.95 a month.

Focusmusic.fm

Focusmusic.fm had four choices, Electronic, Downtempo, Classical and Rain. The Electronic was too peppy for me to work, but would be great for cleaning the house or something active. The rain was nice, an pretty even sound with occasional thunder. I found myself going back to the Rain sounds again and again. This station is free!

YouTube

There are tons of different videos on YouTube that offer music for concentration. Search things like: concentration, focus or relax. Great free option although it has none of the productivity or timer options of the others.

This was one of my favorites since I like mellow background music.

Coffitivity

This free site will play you a variety of coffee shop noise on repeat. You can choose from a few different recordings, although they all sounds pretty much the same to me. I love this site because it is just background noise with no distracting elements. I use it when I am working after everyone has gone to bed, just so I don’t feel alone.

Simply Noise

Is another free site that will play White, Pink or Brown noise. What does that mean? According to their site:

White Noise – Contains sound across all frequencies. White noise is the most effective at blocking distractions because it covers the largest spectrum range. It’s great for reading, writing, studying, and anything else that requires focus.

Pink Noise – A blend of high and low frequencies that produce a mesmerizing waterfall effect. Pink noise is great for melting away stress while keeping you alert and energized. The airy pulse creates a therapeutic environment that relaxes your mind and body.

Brown Noise – Utilizes the lower sound frequencies to generate a deep ambient rumble. Brown noise is excellent for aiding sleep, pacifying children and pets, and even masking Tinnitus. It’s also great for breaking in audio equipment and soothing migraines.

Almost like having a vacuum, fan or hairdryer on in the background. I didn’t like the tones in the sounds personally but could see how it would really work if you were in a noisy environment and just needed to tune things out.

I’m sure there are many more options out there!

Try a few to see what works best for you and your brain. Some might be better when you have to use headphones such as in a coffee shop or co-working space. Some might be better when you are alone in your office.