Tag Archives: productivity

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Themed ambient sounds – can they help you work?

October 27, 2016 Angie 1 Comment

hogwarts-express — Escape reality for awhile!

Have you ever tried working with ambient noise in the background? Did it help make you more effective, or did you find it distracting or stressful? Personally, I’ve never tried specifically ambient noise, although music definitely helps my productivity and mood. But an article from Book Riot “Immerse Yourself Into the Harry Potter World with Harry Potter Ambient Sounds” got my attention (for obvious reasons) and I decided to give it a try!

The article directs you to AmbientMixer.com which features a huge selection of free ambient sounds and even lets you create your own, or make adjustments to existing sounds. After sampling different options like “Storm on the Hogwarts Express” and “Autumn Forest” I ended up listening to “Hufflepuff Common Room” the longest. I liked the combination of birds chirping, the sound of a pen scratching, and the faint purr of a cat in the background.

For all you fellow nerds out there, it’s not just Harry Potter ambient sounds that are available – they have Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, and Lord of the Rings!

This article from Brainscape talks more about the “ideal noise level” for being more productive (they relate it to studying, but it could be applied to other tasks too) and gives some suggestions on the type of noise that could be helpful based on the task you are performing. If you really want to get in-depth, check out this article from Scientific American, which suggests that background noise may actually have a negative impact on brain functioning, and impair learning and memory.

At CMLE, classical music tends to keep us focused and uplifted. Check out YourClassical.org which features special playlists for relaxation, inspiration, and more! Or, if you prefer white noise, check out the site Noisli for different sounds options.

What do you think? Do you like to work or learn in complete silence, with music, or with ambient sounds?

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

June Productivity Tip

June 3, 2014 admincmle

According to the folks at MakeUseOf, “The time has come where we all make promises to ourselves that we’ll be better, harder, faster, and stronger by the end of 2014. Twelve months is a long time, though, and it can be easy to lose steam over such a long period. What can you do about it? Our CMLE approach: break the year down into months and dedicate each month to a particular change. This method lets you internalize one change at a time before moving onto the next one. Front loading all of your resolutions together is just a recipe for being overwhelmed. A common resolution for most working people is to be more productive. If you do it right, by the end of the year you’ll be doing more work in less time!” Credit for the content of these monthly posts goes to Joel Lee, MakeUseOf.

Image by swanksalot. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons licensing. Some rights reserved.

June’s Bad Habit: Neglecting Exercise

“If you’re a white collar worker, you likely spend the majority of your day sitting in a chair. This can wreak havoc on your posture. If you’re frequently working with computers, there are additional risks that you need to keep in check, including computer fatigue. A sedentary lifestyle can have a lot of negative impact on your physical and mental health.

Solution: Exercise. Most New Year resolutions that involve exercise start in January and tend to fizzle out by February. I believe the dreary weather is a big factor. By starting in June, you’re setting yourself up for success since you’ll already be in the habit when the next winter rolls around.

Use RunKeeper to track your exercise goals and check out these exercise YouTube channels for training and motivation.”

We have run out of time to give you the last six tips….but no worries. Keep yourself on track over the summer and get them from 12 Productivity Habits To Finally Hack Your Life In The New Year by Joel Lee, MakeUseOf, Jan.1, 2014

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

May Productivity Tip: Remember to Recharge

April 28, 2014 admincmle

According to the folks at MakeUseOf, “The time has come where we all make promises to ourselves that we’ll be better, harder, faster, and stronger by the end of 2014. Twelve months is a long time, though, and it can be easy to lose steam over such a long period. What can you do about it? Our approach: break the year down into months and dedicate each month to a particular change. This method lets you internalize one change at a time before moving onto the next one. Front loading all of your resolutions together is just a recipe for being overwhelmed. A common resolution for most working people is to be more productive. If you do it right, by the end of the year you’ll be doing more work in less time!” Credit for the content of these monthly posts goes to Joel Lee, MakeUseOf.

Have you gotten your vacation request on the books? Don’t wait too long, or someone else may get your ideal time slot!

Image by erichhh. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing. — Image by erichhh. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

May’s Bad Habit: Forgetting to Recharge

“If you don’t have energy, you can’t work productively. We already covered physical rest in February; this time I’m talking about mental rest. We often feel like any time spent not working is productivity lost, which leads us to work, work, and work even more at the expense of recreation. This is more detrimental than you might think.

Solution: Keep your work life and personal life separated when you leave the office and take time to pamper yourself for at least an hour every night. Watch Netflix, play some Android games, or pick up a new hobby. Recreation and entertainment are essential for maintaining clarity of mind and preventing burnout.”

This excerpt is from 12 Productivity Habits To Finally Hack Your Life In The New Year by Joel Lee, MakeUseOf, Jan.1, 2014

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

April Productivity Tip

March 31, 2014 admincmle

According to the folks at MakeUseOf, “The time has come where we all make promises to ourselves that we’ll be better, harder, faster, and stronger by the end of 2014. Twelve months is a long time, though, and it can be easy to lose steam over such a long period. What can you do about it? Our approach: break the year down into months and dedicate each month to a particular change. This method lets you internalize one change at a time before moving onto the next one. Front loading all of your resolutions together is just a recipe for being overwhelmed. A common resolution for most working people is to be more productive. If you do it right, by the end of the year you’ll be doing more work in less time!” Credit for the content of these monthly posts goes to Joel Lee, MakeUseOf.

Image by UrbaneWomanMag. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing. — Image by UrbaneWomanMag. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

April’s Bad Habit: Not Taking Notes

“How much time do you waste trying to decide what you’re going to tackle next? For a lot of folks, deciding what to do can actually take up a good chunk of the day — especially true for those who are more on the indecisive side. Without a clear roadmap of what the day entails, productivity drops through the ground.

Solution: Take notes and take lots of them. Evernote is fantastic for this since it handles notes, to-do lists, syncing across desktop and smartphones, and more. Whenever a new task pops into mind, immediately jot it down in your notes so you don’t forget it. For optimal to-do list productivity, make your list of tasks for tomorrow at the end of today — that way, you can hop right into tomorrow when morning comes without wasting any time. ”