Introduction
Working from home has become a new normal for many people in recent years. While remote work has its perks like flexibility and no commute, it can also present challenges like reduced social interaction, distractions at home, and blurred work-life boundaries. This is where curating the perfect work from home playlist can help.
Listening to music while working remotely has many benefits. The right tunes can boost energy and productivity, help you focus, spur creativity, and just make the workday more enjoyable. Creating playlists tailored to your work needs and schedule can enhance your focus and motivation levels throughout the day.
In this post, we'll explore why a deliberate work from home playlist is so useful and provide tips for crafting playlists for different work modes.
Benefits of Listening to Music While Working
Listening to music while working has been shown to boost focus and productivity in many studies. According to research from Harvard Business Review, music can enhance concentration, mood, and performance at work (https://hbr.org/2022/09/can-music-make-you-more-productive). One study found that workers were more efficient and made fewer errors when listening to music compared to working in silence. Music can help people enter a state of flow where they are completely immersed in their work (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9855069/). The rhythms and beats of music can energize the brain and help maintain focus on repetitive tasks. Upbeat music in particular has been associated with enhanced productivity. While individual preferences vary, the right playlist can clearly provide significant benefits for focus and efficiency in a work from home environment.
Creating the Perfect WFH Playlist
When creating playlists for working from home, it's important to consider the need for both upbeat and relaxing music depending on the task at hand. Upbeat music with a faster tempo can provide an energizing effect to help you stay focused and productive. Songs with driving beats work well for getting through analytical or detail-oriented tasks. On the other hand, slower paced instrumental music is better for creative work or times when you need to concentrate without distractions. The key is to choose music that complements the work mode you're in rather than hinders it.
Start by thinking about your daily workflow and when you need a boost of energy versus times you'd benefit from soothing music. For high-focus individual work, create a playlist of wordless music like classical or ambient electronic music. For collaborative tasks or brainstorming, go for upbeat pop or rock. Tailor playlists to support the type of work you're doing in order to optimize productivity.
Also consider varying the music throughout the day to help avoid fatigue. Listen to energizing music in the mornings, then transition to calmer tracks later in the day as you wrap up projects. Creating the right mix of upbeat and relaxing WFH playlists takes experimentation, so be open to tweaking your playlists to find what works best for your needs.
Songs to Boost Energy in the Morning
The morning hours at home can be difficult to get started, especially when you don't have the regular morning commute to naturally energize you. An upbeat playlist of pop and rock songs is a great way to perk up first thing.
Some top energizing songs to add to your morning WFH playlist include:
- "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham! - This upbeat 80s classic will get you dancing out of bed.
- "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves - The title says it all, perfect feel-good energy.
- "Happy" by Pharrell Williams - It's impossible to feel down while listening to this majorly upbeat hit.
- "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch - If you need some 90s hip hop morning motivation.
- "Hey Ya!" by Outkast - With its fast tempo and energetic delivery, it's a surefire morning booster.
Some more recent pop/rock songs to add in: "High Hopes" by Panic! At the Disco, "The Middle" by Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, "Dynamite" by BTS, and "Good as Hell" by Lizzo. The key is songs with driving beats, singalong choruses, and positive vibes.
An upbeat playlist of these pop and rock hits will give you the morning jumpstart you need for a productive work from home day.
Focus Enhancing Instrumental Music
Instrumental music without lyrics can be especially helpful for enhancing focus while working. The absence of singing allows you to concentrate fully on the task at hand without getting distracted. There are two excellent genres to explore for wordless yet energizing background music:
Movie Soundtracks: Many modern movie scores feature epic, sweeping orchestral arrangements that engage the listener without overpowering. Composers like Hans Zimmer, John Williams and Thomas Newman have produced numerous film soundtracks perfect for work. Try the scores from movies like Inception, The Dark Knight, Jurassic Park, and Finding Nemo.
Classical: The solo piano works of composers like Chopin, Debussy, and Beethoven provide beautiful instrumental music to zone in while working. Baroque era composers like Vivaldi and Bach also offer lively yet unobtrusive options. Focus on solo instrumental works rather than concertos or symphonies for maximum concentration.
Having these wordless yet emotionally evocative options playing softly in the background can enhance your focus and productivity levels. The key is choosing non-vocal music that engages your brain while allowing space to deeply concentrate.
Songs for Creative Tasks
When working on creative projects that require innovative thinking and generating new ideas, certain ambient and new age music can help spark creativity and get those brain juices flowing. Here are some recommended songs to listen to when doing graphic design, writing, brainstorming sessions, or any activity where you need to think outside the box:
Enya - "Orinoco Flow" - The ethereal vocals and lush instrumentation of Enya create a relaxing yet uplifting backdrop that can open your mind to new creative insights.
Brian Eno - "An Ending (Ascent)" - From the ambient pioneer, this atmospheric piece builds layers of synth textures that subtly engage the mind while avoiding distraction.
Moby - "Everloving" - As one of Moby's most chilled out tracks, the slow beat and melodic keyboards free your mind to make creative connections.
Bonobo - "Black Sands" - The chilled rhythms and spaciousness of this downtempo electronic track allow your creativity to flourish in the sonic gaps.
Tycho - "Awake" - From the ambient electronica artist, this track combines melodic synths and gentle beats to put you in a relaxed yet focused creative state.
Playing this type of ambient and new age music can help silence your inner critic, unlock imaginative thinking, and activate the parts of your brain where original ideas are born. Use these songs to set the stage for your next brainstorming or design session and see where your creativity can take you.
Music for Data Analysis
When you need to crunch numbers, analyze data sets, or work through complex spreadsheets, certain types of music can help enhance your focus and productivity. Instrumental and electronic music are great options to listen to during analytical tasks.
Look for music with an upbeat tempo around 125-140 beats per minute. This provides just the right amount of stimulation without being too distracting. Examples of genres and artists that work well include:
- Synthwave (artists like Gunship, Timecop1983, The Midnight)
- Ambient electronic (artists like Bonobo, Emancipator, Thievery Corporation)
- Deep house (artists like Lane 8, Rufus Du Sol, Cubicolor)
- Upbeat classical like Vivaldi’s "Four Seasons"
The repetitive beats and lack of vocals in these types of electronic and instrumental music improves concentration when analyzing data and numbers. The music provides a pleasant background noise that drowns out distractions without pulling your attention away from the task at hand.
Creating a dedicated playlist for data tasks will help you get in an analytical, focused headspace each time you need to crunch numbers or work with datasets.
Winding Down Songs for the End of the Day
After a long day of working at home, it's important to have some relaxing music to help you unwind. The end of the workday is a great time to listen to gentle, soothing acoustic songs to clear your mind. Here are some recommendations for chill, acoustic songs perfect for winding down:
- Harvest Moon by Neil Young - This mellow folk song has a peaceful, calming vibe.
- "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver - The indie folk sound and emotional vocals create a soothing atmosphere.
- "Such Great Heights" by Iron & Wine - This whispery acoustic version is ideal for quiet reflection.
- "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac - Let the beautiful harmonies wash away the stress of the day.
- "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd - Unplug with this acoustic take on a wistful classic.
- "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley - Buckley's haunting vocals and guitar make this a perfect wind-down song.
- "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor - Taylor's folksy guitar and lyrics help you relax and unwind.
Putting on some calming, laid-back acoustic tunes at the end of your work from home day will help you leave the stress of work behind and transition into evening relaxation. The soothing sounds of these chill, folksy songs will promote a sense of peace and contentment after your work is done.
Collaborative Playlist Tools
There are several great collaborative playlist tools that allow you to create and share playlists with coworkers:
Spotify - Spotify has a collaborative playlist feature that lets you invite coworkers to add songs to a shared playlist. You can name the playlist, add a description, choose whether it's public or private, and invite contributors via email or by sharing a link. It's a seamless way for remote teams to collectively build a WFH playlist.
Apple Music - Apple Music also lets you create shared playlists. You can choose to make it public or limit editing to people you invite. Contributors can add songs through the web player or Apple Music app. It's a user-friendly option if your team uses Apple devices.
Collaborative playlists are great for building camaraderie and allowing everyone to contribute their favorite WFH tracks. The shared playlists can help set the audio atmosphere for remote workdays. Just be sure to provide guidelines on genre, explicit lyrics, etc to keep the music work-appropriate.
Conclusion
Having the right playlist can make working from home more enjoyable and productive. Listening to music has been shown to reduce stress, improve focus, and boost creativity. Creating playlists tailored to different parts of your workday can help maximize these benefits.
Starting your morning with upbeat songs provides energy to tackle the day's tasks. Instrumental music is ideal for deep focus work like data analysis or writing. Collaborative playlists allow remote teams to feel connected through shared music. Songs to unwind are key for avoiding burnout.
Overall, thoughtfully curating music selections into different playlists ensures your WFH soundtrack enhances your mood, energy levels, and work output.
