How can I focus better?

Have you ever listened to white noise? White noise describes the sounds of every audible frequency playing at the same volume. (Did you know that there is also pink noise and brown noise too? They focus on the lower frequencies so that's the difference).

I often play white noise when i'm working. I find that if i'm working in a cafe or other public place it blocks out the voices and noises and helps me to stay focused. The strange thing is though, sometimes if I am struggling to concentrate at home, I start playing white noise and it helps me focus there too. Which is strange given there aren't usually other noises that would be distracting.

It turns out that there is evidence to show that listening to the white noise itself can help you concentrate in an additional way to just blocking out distractions. It helps the brain to pick out actually important signals as they stand out more easily - i.e. the thing you're trying to focus on. In fact, although i'm no expert on this, I've also been reading that the effects are particularly pronounced in ADHD brains - especially children.

Another study has shown that it can boost creativity for all as well!

Finally, if you struggle to sleep - listening to white noise can also help you sleep apparently. I've never tried it but I have seen it used for babies so why wouldn't it work for adults too I suppose!

So if you find yourself flitting from one task to another, If you wonder regularly "why can't I stop procrastinating?!", maybe this is something that you could try.

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