Beat The Stress...With Some Beats

With fall leaves and scrumptious apple pie desserts come long nights of endless, tedious homework. For overwhelming days like these, music has always been my go-to solution. It keeps me entertained, but just enough so that I don’t get distracted. The problem is finding the right beat that works for you.

I have found my favorite music to be Lo-Fi, or low-fi, which is a genre of music that stands for low fidelity. It is also known as chill-out or gaming music, but I also find it useful for doing homework or studying. It involves uncommon sounds used in music (like thunder) and mixes it with a little bit of jazz and hip hop. The tracks also have amazing aesthetics. Just look up Lo-fi music on YouTube, and find a livestream that suits you. I would recommend listening to Chilledcow, Chillhop Music, or The Jazz Hop Café.

Another good genre of music is classical. I like listening to Mozart, but you can listen to just about any classical piano music. Ever heard of the Mozart Effect? According to BBC, piano music can improve mental performance by “arousing” your brain. It’s also good for babies, to calm them down if they distract you from your studying session. That’s two benefits in one.

If you would like a peaceful studying atmosphere, try listening to nature/ calming sounds. You can find various videos online from crackling fireplaces and rustling leaves to pouring rain. On top of that, these type of videos are usually hours long. The only downside I have found from these is that it is very easy to fall asleep to, so pinch yourself a couple of times and you should be okay.

Oh, the big question. Can you listen to pop music while studying? For me, that is a big no no. It may be good for chilling out or dancing to, but it can hinder your mental focus. According to The Guardian, music with words can result in lower scores because they can take up processing space in your brain. But all is not lost. A great alternative is listening to the instrumental versions of your favorite pop songs. Bingo!

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