Brain Support Toolkit

Here's some of our favorite music and sounds for supporting focus. 

1. myNoise is an (actually) ad-free sound machine with lots of presets, and each soundscape is customizable. For example, the Forêt Ouareau soundscape has slider options for "Frogs", "More Frogs" and "Other Frogs". Sleeping Dragon has a really good binaural focusing effect. 

2. Binaural Beats - Here's a link to a playlist of ambient music that uses binaural sound to promote specific brain waves. You can find plenty of different playlists on Youtube or Spotify, just make sure they're the right wave frequency for your goal. Slower Hertz promote relaxation while alpha and beta waves promote focus.

3. LoFi and other soundscapes - Many people find music with lyrics too distracting when trying to write. Blue Turtle is a favorite in Academic Coaching. 

4. Silence. Dorm too noisy? Head to the library or step outside and find a quiet spot with minimal distraction. 

5. Foreign Pop - Hear me out! Sometimes I get tired of slow LoFi and instrumental music. If my brain can't translate the lyrics in a language I don't know, then it's not distracting.

What will you do to eliminate distractions?

Forest - Commit to putting down your phone by planting a tree in the app. If you use your phone before the timer is up, your tree withers away. 

Pocket - Browser extension and app that helps keep your screen clean and free from hoarding open tabs to read later. 

Focus Mode on iPhone - Turn off unnecessary notifications by enabling focus mode on your phone. You can even set it to kick in automatically at certain times or in certain locations. 

Time blocking - Stop multitasking, start blocking out dedicated time for your tasks. There are a million planner apps you could use, but your simple and connected Google Calendar is more than enough. 

Peak Hours - What time of the day do you work best? Morning? Noon? If it's possible, protect those hours from other engagements and dedicate them to getting your work done.

Stimming - Use fidgets, move around, chew gum, whatever helps you focus. 

Body Doubling - Hold each other accountable while you work independently. Start your own group, contact Academic Coaching for accountability partners, or try virtual co-working..