Playlists to Fuel Your WFH Productivity
Let’s talk work from home, or work from anywhere focus.
I don’t like to talk about productivity, because in the past I have become obsessed with the idea of being more productive to the point it was no longer productivity but just crossing shit off a list that no one cared about. We overvalue productivity in general. But I do need to focus from time to time.
I am a Product Marketing Manager in tech. The part of my job that gets me really excited is working on messaging, writing and creative content. Truth be told, I actually really enjoy PowerPoint don’t judge me. But, I also spend a lot of time on Zoom calls. Connecting with people is another part of my job I love, but this isn’t always the main point of scheduled Zoom calls. It can be a struggle to find quality time to actually produce something.
Work is not only a 9-5 construct, whatever you do in your day to day life as a human there are times where you need to get stuff done that requires your undivided attention.
One of my latest focus hacks is scheduling work blocks without meetings during my most creative time of day, late morning. This can be hard to come by because this is a time block that is usually taken up with recurring meetings. So I started scheduling twice a week blocks on my lighter days, far in advance, to keep a couple hours sacred for accessing the part of myself that I think I was actually hired for.
I have struggled with ADD my whole life, and have found a few methods of management that help me get in a head space that isn’t just focused, but also taps into the creative part of my brain that I actually think is a positive result of my ADD.
During these work blocks, I employ one of my main ADD management methods that has been working for me since I was a moody teenager: music.
Building music into your workspace
I recently updated my home office space, in light of pandemic-induced work from home life. This is the main reason I chose to include a modern record player that is Bluetooth enabled. I love vinyl for listening experiences that are more about paying attention to an album end-to-end so I wanted this option as well. However, record flipping definitely takes me out of my focused head space, so I needed to be able to play music through Spotify as well for longer stretches.
I created a specific area next to my desk for my smaller, more streamlined record setup and an acrylic shelf for displaying records. At some point I might turn this wall into a bigger record display wall. I love these shelves for records, they are cheap and minimal.
It was also important to me to have music playing from something other than my laptop, so if I needed time away from my computer these wouldn’t be linked.
Music that works
and playlists to share.
Not all music puts me in a focused or creative head space. It has to have the right balance of tickling that part of my brain that loves the genres I love, interesting and non-distracting. For me, that usually means less lyrically driven with some energy. Music in other languages works for me as well, for some reason if I can sing along it breaks me out of my focus.
I shared a few of my favorite WFH playlists with you on Spotify:
WFH: Lounge Exotica
WARNING - may trick your brain into thinking you are at a tiki bar, you are not. It’s still the workday. I love lounge exotica and it’s one of the weirder music selections to offer you for your workday but I think weird works. You will find a lot of Monster Rally on here, one of the only contemporary exotica artists on the playlist. Every Monster Rally song is a banger. Some of my favorite classic films also yielded some great tracks on this playist like Lolita Ya Ya by Nelson Riddle from Kubrick’s Lolita and Moon River Cha Cha by Henry Mancini from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Classic Lounge Exotica Favorites include The Three Suns, Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman.
This strictly follows my non-native speaking language rule. The sad part of this is that I have a french degree and should be able to understand what they are singing, but my language skills didn’t stick in that way. This playlist puts me into a more fun work mood, has a vintage vibe and mostly features all the women Lana Del Rey is attempting to channel; Francoise Hardy, Gillian Hills, Brigitte Bardot. Comment dit-on…sexy french work vibes?
If I could title this after one song on the playlist it would be, Big Thinks Do Remarkable by And So I Watch You from Afar
Think Explosions in the Sky, but not just Explosions in the Sky. I think a lot of folks listen to Explosions to study or work, because it’s pretty perfect. And well, clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose. It’s technical and interesting, has moments of power and energy but is also calming. Bands like This Will Destroy You, Russian Circles, Mogwai. You’ll find a good mix of mathy post-rock and a lot of Icelandic bands that fit my rule of not knowing what they are saying. Also one of my favorite local college bands from Bellingham, WA (home of Death Cab, who you will not find on this playlist because too much teenage heartbreak for the workday) - Rooftops. I built this playlist to start out slower and more ambient and build energy, right around My Only Swerving by El Ten Eleven.
If you had asked me ages 14-20 what I wanted to be when I grow-up I would have likely told you a professional mix tape (CD at the time, however we will always call them mix tapes - right?) “artist.” Follow me on Spotify, where i’ll be building out a library of mixes starting with these WFH playlists. I hope they help you as much as they help me!
What music helps you get locked-in? Share below in the comments and we’ll keep building playists! I’ll be continuing to talk about work from home on Wednesdays here and on my Instagram @mid_centurymillennial. Would love to hear if there’s anything you struggle with in this area.