A Playlist To Help You Ace Your Finals?

Focusing doesn't come naturally to many of us. Whether you're studying for exams, working on a huge presentation, or are trying to pick up a focus-heavy hobby, it probably couldn't hurt to get an extra focus boost without changing your habits too much. And if you're the kind of person to likes to have music on in the background at all times, you may be wondering whether your chosen soundtrack is helping or hindering your productivity. The good news: a backdrop of sound seems to be good for your attention. The bad: what you choose for your playlist has a real effect on how much you get done. The best music to study or do work to won't make your attention wander or take you out of your most productive phase. If you're all about that your playlists, listen up: you can hone your results by tweaking your tunes.

Human brains are seriously responsive to music, whether we're conscious of it or not. A study in 2016, for instance, found that brains pick up on the rhythm of music without any conscious attention; you may be completely distracted by something else, but your toes may still be tapping to the beat of the song in your headphones. But sorting out what helps and what hinders your attention as we try to focus is a complex area of research, and the results aren't necessarily what you'd expect. Continue reading.