Top Playlists for Work

I work from home as a Social Media Manager, and one of the things that helps me to get focused and in the zone for working, is listening to music.

And something I have learnt from scouring through Spotify, is that playlists are a life saver to keep your brain for boredom! I have so many different playlists but there are three that I will always, without a doubt, start my day with listening to.

1) Best of Shingo Nakamura  1 (DJ Mix)

https://open.spotify.com/album/7jlaoDKph72uhcYiOiFelW?si=zUmc1OrBTP-njHIOSAskGQ

I was first introduced to this compilation by a dear friend of mine. We were having a few drinks and he started playing this on his laptop. It is such a contrast to the music I usually listen to and I listen to one of the songs every day at least! The album is a laid back style of progressive house music, and Nakamura incorporates deep and lyrical sounds with classical piano. There are no lyrics to any of his work so you can’t get distracted by the lyrics while working, and it is relaxing enough that it puts you into such a chilled zone that you can focus on any task in front of you. If you are looking for a playlist to just play in the background but also give you that slight buzz from the progressive beats then this is the perfect set to keep you focused and engaged as well as relaxed.

I work in an office space, a normal 9-5 kind of day, and thankfully my job allows us to listen to music as we work; since the majority of the work is individual work on computers.

And something I have learnt from scouring through Spotify, is that playlists are a life saver to keep your brain for boredom! I have so many different playlists but there are three that I will always, without a doubt, start my day with listening to.

2) Songbirds at Sunrise- Dan Gibson

https://open.spotify.com/album/347x7oPj07mjn6i98p6GyN?si=F-TtKXtSRCO1N6AIHrXRTA 

Another playlist introduced to me by my friend (he is very influential) and this playlist in particular relaxes my brain to such an extent that I sometimes use it to help me drift off to sleep in evening. But in a working scenario it is is perfect to block out any stressful situations around you and allow you to mentally escape the office.

I was first introduced to this playlist when I was spending an evening with said friend, and because he had heard I had been quite stressed and rushed off my feet a lot that week he told me to lay on the sofa, close my eyes and listen to the music. When the first song, New England Spring, came on I felt my body sink into the sofa.

Dan Gibson has made a beautiful combination of instrumental instruments, such as flutes, play alongside birdsong and other natural sounds such as waves and even swaying vegetation. If you are in need of something that will instantly calm you and transport you to a place that is miles away from an office or busy city, then you are going to love this!

3) Pan’s Labyrinth- Javier Navarrete

https://open.spotify.com/album/6DX38wtsdxU4xluAWHnxyz?si=eTzvSWn8TOCrfLfyXjdqVQ 

Last, but certainly not least, I will forever recommend listening to the soundtrack of Pan’s Labyrinth. If you haven’t seen the film, then you definitely should because it is beautiful, but the sound track itself is astonishing. The music tells you a story and it doesn’t even matter if you have seen the film or not.

The first song: Pan’s Labyrinth’s Lullaby, blends together a piano with a soothing voice that is humming a tune, setting the melancholy tone and that doesn’t stop there. The instrumentals take the listener through the dark fantasy, and it will make you feel different emotions and moods the more you listen to the playlist.

In comparison to my previous choices, Pan’s Labyrinth is the darkest of soundtracks but that brings a nice balance of light and dark with Gibson’s or Nakamura’s music. And that is the main reason why PL is on this list, because it brings a different mood for when I am working or even just relaxing at home. 

If you have the time, I would definitely suggest taking some time to listen to these three playlists. If you listen to them in the order that is shown, you will be taken on a journey through the music. Of course you can listen to the tracks individually, but for maximum relaxation then I would encourage you to play it in order.

Let me know what your opinions of these playlists are, but also let me know what your favourite playlists are that help you to relax or to focus! And in my next blog I will mention the playlists that I found to be the most interesting.

Keep focused, keep relaxed, but most importantly… keep happy.

Until next time,

RJ xoxo