• Idle Impact
  • Posts
  • Listen to This Music if You Want to Focus

Listen to This Music if You Want to Focus

Surprising Stats for Positivity, Baroque for Productivity

August 07, 2023

Ever wondered if there's a soundtrack to productivity or a book that can reshape your understanding of the world?

Look no further! In this edition of Idle Impact, we delve into the secrets of Baroque music and challenge the misconceptions we often hold about the world we live in.

Let’s get the music started!

Bach might’ve gotten more work done if he could listen to his own Spotify playlist…

MUSIC | PRODUCTIVITY | FOCUS

If it ain’t ‘Baroque,’ don’t fix it

Many people, including myself, use music as a means of focusing on work or studying.

You might have your own go-to playlist for getting sh*t done, but did you know there is one type of music that’s been scientifically proven to help you focus and work better?

Scientists have shown that listening to Baroque music can increase your mood and work satisfaction, while also boosting your memory, attention, and learning efficiency!1

Baroque music - think Bach, Handel, or Telemann - has a unique and steady tempo, typically at about 60 beats per minute.

Our brains are stimulated at this tempo to create alpha brain waves, which are great for focus and relaxation.

Here are some pre-curated selections to get you started:

So the next time you really need to get some work (or studying) done, pop on your headphones and give Baroque music a listen!

WORLDVIEW | MYTHS & MISCONCEPTIONS | OPTIMISM

The world is not as bad as it seems

If you’re like me, then you probably have a lot of preconceived notions about the world (and other people) that aren’t necessarily true.

These might stem from childhood experiences or the media and apart from mere ignorance, these sources can shape our behaviors and attitudes, especially toward those different from us.

One book that really opened my eyes to this is Factfulness by Hans Rosling.

Rosling is great at showing us the world is actually not as bad as we think. On the contrary, we’ve made pretty impressive progress on a lot of fronts.

Here are a few eye-opening facts from the book that might challenge some of your preconceived misconceptions about the world:

Misconception

“Child mortality rates have gone up or stayed the same over the past few decades.”

“Extreme poverty has increased.”

“The Western world has a significantly higher life expectancy than the rest of the world.”

“The global population is increasing exponentially.”

“Literacy rates are low in developing countries.”

Fact

Child mortality rates have been halved over the last 20 years.

The amount of people living in extreme poverty has almost halved in the last 20 years.

The majority of the world's countries have a life expectancy of over 70 years.

Population growth is decreasing. The global population is expected to level off at 11 billion by the end of the century.

About 80% of all people in the world can read and write today.

Here’s a chart showing child mortality has more than halved in 20 years.

If you have a hard time believing these things, you can look into the data yourself here or read the book.

There’s no denying that we still have much to do in the world. Yet, clearing up some of these misconceptions hopefully will grant you a sense of peace and a more optimistic view of the world we live in.

Just know it will only continue to get better as well 😃.

As we wrap up this edition, I hope the soothing strains of Baroque have offered you a new tool for productivity and that the insights from Hans Rosling have illuminated a more optimistic, fact-based view of our world.

Also, I'd love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, or any other tips you'd like to share at [email protected].

Until next time, keep listening, keep questioning, and always seek the truth behind the tune. Stay curious!

- Kevin and the Idle Impact Team

Dive Deeper with recommended reads:

Footnotes

Reply

or to participate.