Ambient music is a common tool people use to help themselves focus when working or studying. Its calming atmosphere makes it easier to block out distractions and enhances productivity. But what makes ambient music better suited to cognitive function compared to mainstream music?
Our brains were created to be multi-faceted machines capable of processing a seemingly infinite amount of data. Different areas of the brain are responsible for various roles that ultimately serve cognitive function. One of these areas is our frontal lobe, specifically the prefrontal cortex, which is heavily responsible for creative output. Conversely, the area of the brain that is responsible for language comprehension is the Wernicke's area. Because of their separate roles, both of these regions of the brain naturally go against one another.
When our brain processes language, it activates the Wernicke's area, but due to the way in which our brain processes language, it makes it difficult for the prefrontal cortex to be engaged due to the brain's focus on comprehending the words we are hearing.
This is why people find it difficult to focus on a creative task whilst they are listening to music that contains lyrics. It is simply not possible to fully engage the creative side of your brain while it is busy processing language. Ambient music is great because it lacks anything that would turn on language comprehension while maintaining the clarity that the sound of music itself naturally promotes. For this reason, ambient music is used for studying, creativity, work, reading, and any other activity that requires high mental stimulation.
How ambient music eliminates distractions
Since music with words activates the linguistic region of the brain, it is by nature something that monopolizes our attention span. This is fine in any other circumstance, but when trying to focus on other things, lyrical music can be heavily distracting and detrimental.
Ambient music has been found to do the exact opposite. It promotes calm and relaxation, allowing the listener to sink into a "flow" state. It occupies the mind while also leaving enough space to give the brain the capacity to operate on other fronts. This is why many creatives employ the use of ambient music in their routines, as it helps eliminate distractions and improve ideas and mental clarity.
Ambient music improves sleep & lowers stress and anxiety
Aside from the creative side of things, ambient music is also a fantastic sleep aid. Because it helps relax the mind and activates the creative side of the brain, ambient music also has been found to assist people who struggle to fall asleep.
Sleep is difficult to achieve if you are struggling with higher-than-average levels of stress and anxiety, as they literally keep your brain awake. Ambient music helps reduce these symptoms to provide clarity and mental clearness, which helps you fall asleep faster and sleep deeper.
If you're someone who struggles with insomnia or simply finds it hard to fall asleep more than not, give ambient music a try!
Ambient music elevates dopamine levels
Dopamine is the hormone responsible for creating feelings of happiness and contentment in our bodies. There are many ways for the brain to trigger dopamine, one of which being music. Ambient music works in the same way but is more likely to increase levels of dopamine due to the relaxing tempos and soft beats that are common with this genre of music.
All of this together makes ambient music something that can not just help your mind focus, but also be physically affected on a hormonal level, leading to increased levels of dopamine and overall well-being.
Out of all the many forms of music, ambient music is the most versatile. It helps promote creativity, aids with sleep, calms anxiety, increases relaxation, and allows the brain to wind down and think more critically. Though it has generally flown under the radar, ambient music has always found use in establishments that seek to promote a peaceful setting, such as coffee shops and shopping centers.
If you are looking for something to help you focus your creative energy, aid with sleep, or simply a new type of music to add to your repertoire, you can't go wrong with ambient music.