|Mental Performance| Listen to non-lyric music.

Music is a near-universal source of enjoyment, but it can also serve as a powerful tool for enhancing focus, creativity, and mental performance.

Over the past seven years, I’ve curated 35 hours of playlists featuring non-lyrical music. This genre is currently 65% of my audio consumption because in my experience, instrumental, classical, or ambient tracks are best for deep work and focused thinking.

There is published research on the cognitive effects of background music on the brain. The conclusion I have drawn is that a specific genre of music is not what improves cognitive performance, rather any genre that enhances the listeners mood will work. However, for me logically it makes sense that removing lyrics from music would minimise distraction.

The main benefits I have experienced:

-Improved Focus: Non-lyric music eliminates the cognitive load of processing language.

-Enhanced Creativity: Without lyrics the mind has more space to explore ideas.

-Flow State: Entering a flow state is easier with non-lyric music in my experience.

Next time you’re working, try putting on a playlist without lyrics. You might be surprised at how it impacts your focus and productivity compared to your usual music choices.