🌱 Wellbeing: Certain songs helps me focus and be fruitful, what about you?
🌱 Wellbeing: Certain songs helps me focus and be fruitful, what about you?
I use music as part of my remote work routine, can you guess what types?
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Yay! Edition #15, so we are halfway through Nomad November. Scroll to the end of this mail for the full list of all the articles so far this month.
At times pushing myself to write daily, at such a pace, alongside my existing work has been hard! There have been days I felt I could not do it, I could not create or have a piece with a start, middle or end.
The writer imposter syndrome kicked in - BIG TIME.
Today could have been one of those days, I followed my normal routine, but with a focus on sounds, hoping that I can help myself be more present and focus when needed.
Here is what my workday routine looked like:
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Get up and had a herbal tea
Listen to the birds in the park nearby, with intention, noticing the sounds - which helps me connect with nature
Wrote in my journal and took the time to wake up slowly, again noticing the sounds and the bird’s chorus in our local park
Then I did my mini-commute to my shared office space / mini co-working space, depending on the day and who is around!
I had some breakfast there and a cup of coffee
Whilst remote working for the morning, where my focus was on admin, updating documents, sending messages, short tasks - I listened to some BBC Radio 6, Mary Anne Hobbs to be precise, as I do. Ticking off the things to do on the list, slowly but surely
At various points I turned on and off the music sometimes stopping, to enjoy a particular track or combination
Mary Anne has a lovely voice (in my view) so the vibe I get is relaxed, yet productive
Then, boom, a work distraction happened.
As it does!
Nothing major, but it just meant that my attention was focused on a client for 2 + hours or so, meaning the writing did not happen when I had scheduled it to happen, at approx. 1-2pm, EU CET time.
Furthermore, I missed a walk in a local park I had planned.
Now, I am writing it in the later afternoon, I am tired.
Sitting down to start, I felt unmotivated, scattered, dreading it and not really inclined.
My energy was low.
I recognised it.
So, I went out to a local park for a 30 min walk, before it got dark
On return, I checked in again with myself, was I ready to work?
Not quiet yet….
First, I needed a reset, a boost, a cue to get it written and published - I needed some pressure!
Maybe some fake pressure, but pressure none the less.
Below are two of the songs I use, on repeat, for energy and to quell any doubts.
SONG CUE: The song No Pressure by Kae Tempest and Kevin Abstract.
Why? For that sense of pressure, in a nice way.
Listen to the link, below. See if you get it!
3 times on repeat, to set the tone for my energy and get my writing set-up, screens etc. organised.
I also minimised other windows and distractions, where possible.
Turning off phones etc. etc.
Having listened to this song, so many, many times, it hacks my energy for sure and gives me a lift.
No Pressure by Kae Tempest and Kevin Abstract, video and lyrics.
Then, as I started to write, I doubted I could do it, I questioned my writing skills and creativity.
It happens, especially when you are tired, we are all humans after all.
I know that fear, it happens occasionally.
So I leaned into the audio, sound and lyrics I know will challenge that fear.
I listened to that song on replay.
I had the fear. I recognised it.
SONG CUE: The song FEAR by Ian Brown.
F.E.A.R. or Free Expression As Resolution (FEAR)
or Find Earth And Reap (FEAR)
or For Everything A Reason (FEAR)
FEAR by Ian Brown, video and lyrics.
Then I wrote and you are reading it.
What I am describing above, the repeated use of music to foster and “trigger” focused work, is a hack I use often.
There is some psychology behind it too, as the brain remembers the trigger and react, if you repeat enough.
Do you use any particular music to hack your work focus?
Comments are open to all in this article, so please share below!
Thanks for reading article number 15, of Nomad November.
I also want to hear your feedback - so let me know!.
Nomad November Summary: #1 Nomad Skills > #2 DNS Origin Story (Free) > #3 Three Prompts for Better Nomad Living > #4 Liberland Representative, Samuela > #5 Fast Nomadism is unsustainable > #6 Audio Exercise, get ready to take a Better Break > #7 Remote Work could solve global poverty > #8 The Entrepreneurs cashing in on Nomads > #9 My Travel Transit Mobile Office Setup > #10 Retreat from life with a Retreat > #11 Seven Substack Read’s and Recco’s > #12 That time I was headhunted for a Remote Role > #13 Group Chat is open! > #14 What is an adequate Remote Work space?
May the road rise to meet you,
love n light,
💚 Ro