A strange topic maybe for a blog post this March but it’s a big part of how I perform my job. Today’s topic is about what I listen to as I work.

I’m a big music fan. I love the eighties and will listen until the cows come home but my big love is Jean Michel Jarre. Pretty much anything I listened to as a child was instrumental like Jarre and to a degree Enigma. The problem I have with listening to music is that lyrics often put me off. So I tended to listen to film scores or stuff by Jarre. After a while I found myself getting bored of it all and stopped listening.

Now this is where it gets weird.

I recall reading an article about white noise and how it can help people to concentrate so as you do, I loaded up Spotify and looked at white noise albums and gave them a go. At first, I found no effect. I was listening to some weird stuff from noises outside to fans and hoovers. I then came across noises from the rainforest and thunderstorms. This was really good stuff. I’d listen easily for an hour and be in the zone.

It get’s weirder…

When I was working in Manchester, a colleague recommended listing to a woman making a gingerbread house. I laughed but I gave it a try. Now when I say a woman making a gingerbread house. It was literally that. It’s a series of videos by a lady called Ally who performs tasks whilst speaking softly. It’s called ASMR. Basically, it relaxes me, and gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. I also get plenty of work done.

I must stress. This isn’t a sexual thing. I don’t really listen to what is said or done. I just hear fluctuating noises. I just find it quite relaxing.

I tend to listen when I want to concentrate and before I go to sleep. I normally fall asleep within 5 minutes of listening now at night, not at my desk.

So there you go. That’s the weird thing over with. I listen to white noise and people doing stuff.

Does anyone else have certain listening rituals or indeed listen to people making gingerbread houses?