Many people struggle to focus while studying. while preparing for an upcoming exam, or working on a homework assignment due by midnight, a noisy house or an overactive brain can make it hard to buckle down and work. There are always going to be distractions that can break your train of thought and drag you away from your schoolwork for more than an hour or two. While it is common for people to lock their doors and put their phones on silent mode to prevent distractions, sometimes this just doesn’t work. So, what exactly will help people who are more prone to being distracted focus? Well, a calming and peaceful atmosphere always helps, but if you are one of those people who lives with a very noisy family, I suggest locking your door and turning on some music. Here are some of my recommended genres and artists for those of you who don’t want to make being distracted a habit.

1. Lofi Hip Hop Tunes– These are one of my personal favorites. Lofi, or “low-fidelity”, songs are a type of music that was created to help improve focus. The purposeful imperfections of the song are proven to speed along your brain’s focusing process.
2. White noise/ Rain– These are another one of my personal favorites. White noise can be really helpful when you want to block out all the background noise and rain helps you stay calm and not stress about the assignment. Both of these sounds are perfect for drowning out distractions without having to listen to music. As a bonus, both help improve focus decrease stress.
3. Billie Eilish– This pick could be seen as controversial. In my opinion, Eilish’s pattern based beats work in combination with her unique voice to create a very productive vibe. Some people might not experience the same success in focus I have with Eilish’s music, but it works wonders for me.
4. Khalid– Khalid is known to produce upbeat and cheerful songs. The idea here is that the positive vibes keep you upbeat, and less likely to burn out. Khalid does have some calmer songs, but I think listening to the cheery songs can help make you feel happier while working.
5. Blackbear- just like Khalid, Blackbear has an upbeat style to his songs. Blackbear has a modern tone in his music, which is popular among teens. His songs may not be the best to help you focus, but most are super catchy. Blackbear’s music is perfect for a dance break while studying, or for celebration after finishing a tough assignment.
6. Anything from the 90s– I absolutely love the 90s. There were so many good songs made in this era, it was impossible to narrow this category down. Some might have a distaste for 90s music, seeing as it was made 30 years ago, but to those who think this way, you are missing a lot of funky and catching songs. Again, some of these songs might not help with your focus; they are really fun to dance to during your study break.