For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed listening to music. I mean, who doesn’t?
If you are one of those weird ones who doesn’t, then you probably just have not found the right genre for you.
Over the years, music has been an integral part of my life. And I have found that it is one of the most effective tools I use to boost my productivity, no matter what activity I am carrying out: be it walking down the road, reading a book, doing chores, designing or just chilling with my friends. It’s one of those things that just makes the mood right — there is always music to fit any mood you are in.
For me, I like to think my taste in music is vast. I’m not claiming that I know every type of music but I can vibe to a lot of distinct sounds.
So much so that I often let Spotify recommend songs to me and the result is often satisfactory. I do not think it has let me down that many times.
If the sound is right, it is right.
Speaking about the flow state, if I had to describe it, I’d say it’s that frame of mind in which you’re carrying out an activity and everything just feels right. It almost feels like you have an all-seeing eye. Everything just fits. The dots connect and it does not seem like you are even trying too hard.
It seems so natural at that point in time.
And for me, if I’m in that state, best believe I am getting a lot of work done, and easily as well. It seems rather effortless.
My flow state when designing looks something like this. I am at my desk, my laptop on with my design app open, Notion, my browser and Spotify in the background. Headsets on, with music at low to medium.
I do not prefer it on high unless I am trying to block out noise or I’m playing video games.
See that Spotify that I mentioned last? That’s the most crucial part of my flow state. You know when they say “last but not the least”, na im be that.
As regards the music, some days I am singing along with the words as I am working in my flow state. On some days, I am just moving to the beat, just listening for the vibes. And for these kinds of days, I have an Amapiano playlist.
This playlist was curated by a close friend of mine and I have since added some more tunes that fit the vibe.
I dropped a link to the Amapiano playlist down below. The playlist is titled “Omopiano” because the beats will have you screaming “Omo” when they drop. Check it out and let me know how it goes.
In conclusion, I think music is a great way to get into a flow state when working. The beats and rhythm help me relax and focus and they allow me to stay in the right frame of mind for productivity.
Whether you are an artist, a scientist, a writer or any other creative, having the right music to match your task at hand will help you stay focused throughout your workday.
I mean, it helps me, so I believe it will help you.
Disclaimer: The Omopiano playlist I linked has the tendency to make you get up from your desk, start dancing and end up not doing any work.
Please do not hold me liable for that. 😂
Cheers, and keep flowing (no pun intended).