Music and concentration for ADHD minds
Does listening to music help you concentrate?
Music and concentration: Posed myself a question this morning and then did some research - does listening to music interfere with deep work and productivity particularly for those with ADHD traits? and the answer isn't clear cut.
ADHD and music during deep work is more nuanced than most productivity advice suggests. The current thinking is not “Music helps ADHD focus” or even, “Music is distracting.” It's about what level of stimulation this (in this case 'my') nervous system need for this specific task? The distinction matters because many ADHD adults are not using music purely for entertainment, we're using it for regulation.
The right music can reduce under-stimulation, support task initiation, increase activation and make repetitive work easier to sustain. But ... the wrong music can actually destroy deep thinking, especially when it comes to splitting our focus between the music in our heads and any writing, reading and comprehension, strategy work and when we are learning complex information.
Lyrics are often the biggest issue because language processing starts competing with the task itself. I'm currently listening to 'pirate' music (it seems that's a genre, but another story for another day ;) and I am noticing that while writing this I am being constantly pulled into the lyrics.
What seems to work best for many ADHD brains including mine when I am doing work where I need to focus and concentrate is instrumentals, familiar tracks, repetitive rhythms and brown noise. I've created a Spotify playlist for me which includes some great non-vocal tracks which can help when I am trying to block out the world's noise.
In my research, one of the most interesting ideas which I read was that music can function as a kind of “prosthetic urgency system.” The beat increases activation, the stimulation increases dopamine levels and the emotional energy apparently helps override resistance to starting.
As a reluctant starter, I like the idea of something which will stimulate me into workmode, but there is also a balance point where too much stimulation can fragment attention instead of supporting it. Complicated!
The goal, I am discovering, is not maximum stimulationl it's OPTIMAL stimulation.
For many ADHD adults, productivity is less about forcing concentration and more about building environments that help attention stay engaged naturally.
Interested in your views about listening to music, and what kinds, when working
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