Music and Meditations

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I have a soundtrack going in my headphones right now, which is helping me calm down, re-focus. A gentle reminder of the necessity of music in my life.

Since I was a kid, I’ve worked better with music on. When I’m required to work without it, the job just doesn’t go as well. I’m easily distracted and I lose my train of thought, or the flow of the work. When I’m tired, it’s especially bad. Sometimes, late at night, when I’m afraid music would disturb Rachel, I’m almost unable to work at all.

I once made a comment to this nature on a email loop, and a psychologist contacted me off list, telling me of an old diagnosis, no longer accepted, that was based on some people’s NEED for outside stimuli for focus. Without it, they become almost ADD-like in behavior. She said the key statements in my email were that I did better with music or the tv going.

An intriguing idea, to say the least. And true for me. Certain kinds of music (soundtracks, classical, opera) absolutely make it possible for me to stay on task for longer periods of time. Otherwise, I’m hopping up to check on something, or I find myself with an almost uncontrollable urge to “do something else” – surf, play solitaire, file something – often right in the middle of an important paragraph.

I hunger for other types of music for different reasons – energy, for instance. Seriously rocking it out in the morning starts my day with a bang. Dance music at night (I’ve recently been stuck on trance music); vocalese during the day. I LOVE singing at the top of my lungs.

Right now I need the focus. For work, for some personal issues. I keep four stones on my desk, to help me with the acid reflux my work is causing…just fingering them helps me meditate and calm down. I think of them as part of God’s earth, a symbol of His ultimate creation, and reminder to stay grounded. There are certainly bigger issues in this world than my current troubles.

Focus. On the end of the job, the next step, the final goal. More on that in the next entry.

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