E09 - Beats help you beat distractions

Hi everyone,

My name is Lemmy and this is my story of how I became The Attention Master.

In Episode 9, I want to help you focus using sound.

Here is what you are going to learn today:

• The ideal music for work

• Sounds that help you transition into a state of focus

• The difference between white, pink, brown noise, and binaural beats

• Different types of brainwaves

• Free resources to take action

This week’s community challenge

There are thousands of myths about the connection between music & concentration. Time to finally bring some light into the darkness.

1. What should I listen to?

It depends! And the best music for work is not exactly music.

The data suggests that for optimal focus and learning, it's best to work in silence or with white noise, brown noise, or 40 Hz binaural beats in the background. These conditions have been shown to produce better levels of focus and cognitive performance than working with music.

However, if you do choose to listen to music while you work, it should ideally be instrumental and slightly faster than 140 to 150 beats per minute. Music with lyrics, especially those lyrics you're familiar with, can compete with your understanding of the material you're working on.

So, while upbeat music can be motivating, binaural beats or silence may be more beneficial for cognitive tasks.

2. What is the difference between white, pink, and brown noise?

White noise, pink noise, and brown noise are sound-based tools that have been shown to improve people's ability to transition into states of concentration, but they do not necessarily improve concentration per se:

• White noise is a type of noise that contains all frequencies of sound in equal amounts.

• Pink noise has more power in the lower frequencies.

• Brown noise, on the other hand, has more power in the lower frequencies than pink noise.

It's important to note that exposure to white noise, pink noise, or brown noise for extended periods of time, for more than an hour or so, can be damaging to the auditory system!!!

In the end, whether you choose white noise, pink noise, or even brown noise, it's all about finding what works best for you and your specific needs.

3. What are binaural beats?

Binaural beats involve playing one frequency of sound to one ear and a different frequency of sound to the other ear. The brain takes these two sound frequencies and averages the information to come up with an intermediate frequency. The process is thought to put the brain in a better state for learning, focus, and relaxation.

There is evidence that binaural beats can help reduce anxiety and pain, and modestly improve cognition, attention, working memory, and even creativity. 

However, it's important to note that not all binaural beats are equally effective.

4. Why is 40 Hz ideal?

These brain waves can be associated with different states of mind, such as alertness or relaxation. For example, 40 Hz binaural beats have been shown to increase striatal dopamine release. This increase in dopamine leads to elevated levels of motivation and focus.

5. Types of brainwaves

Instead of noise or binaural beats, you may sometimes read about alpha, beta, delta, gamma, and theta brainwave sounds. Here is what they refer to:

• Alpha waves (8-13 Hz): Associated with relaxed wakefulness and light meditation.

• Beta waves (14-30 Hz): Associated with alert states, such as problem-solving or decision making.

• Delta waves (0.5-4 Hz): Associated with deep restorative sleep.

• Theta waves (4-7.5 Hz): Associated with creativity and emotional processing.

• Gamma waves (30-100 Hz): Associated with higher cognitive functions, memory, and perception.

When it comes to directing your attention to a task, Gamma is what you are looking for.

6. The Protocol to take ACTION

There are several free apps available, such as Binaural Beats or Brainwave. These apps allow you to select specific frequencies, such as the 40 Hz binaural beats.

Spotify:

• Focus 40 Hz Binaural Beats

• Pink Noise for Studying

• White Noise for Work Focus

• Brown noise for studying

Youtube:

• Binaural Beats 40Hz

• 1 hour pink noise

• 1 hour brown noise

• 1 hour white noise

Every good action needs a trigger. That's why I'm providing a different visual for each community challenge. Add it to your lock screen and you'll see it every time you open your phone.

Then it's your choice: Screen time or life time?

Here's the Binaural Beats DOWNLOAD and below is a video showing you how to add it to your lock screen.

Let me know if this works for you via
our brand new Whatsapp community
& see ya next week
Lemmy

Recap:

• Community Challenge: Deep work for 1 hour daily while listening to 40 Hz binaural beats.

• Transition to deep work with white, pink or brown noise for no more than 15-25 minutes.

• Maintain concentration using binaural beats.

• 40Hz is ideal for releasing dopamine.

• Dopamine helps with motivation and focus.

Sources:

• Huberman AI

• Neural Oscillation

• Types of Brain Waves

• Brain Waves - an overview