Guides to focus, sound and timers

Plain-language guides to sound and focus, with the research behind them.

• Brown vs white vs pink noise: which is best for focus?

  What separates brown, pink and white noise, how each one masks distractions, what the research says about noise and attention, and how to choose one for focus or sleep.

• The Pomodoro Technique: a practical guide

  How the Pomodoro Technique works, why timed breaks help, what the research says, and how to adapt the 25/5 rhythm to longer work with a free online timer.

• The best background sounds for coding and deep work

  Why lyrics get in the way of programming, which background sounds help developers focus (brown noise, rain, café, binaural beats) and how to build a deep work setup.

• Do binaural beats help you focus? What the research says

  How binaural beats work, what the alpha, beta, theta and gamma bands are, and what meta-analyses and systematic reviews actually found about focus, memory and anxiety.

• Why café noise helps creative work

  The 2012 study that found moderate ambient noise, around the level of a busy café, boosts creative thinking, why it might work, its limits, and how to recreate it at home.

• Brown noise for ADHD: what we know

  Why brown noise became popular for ADHD, what research on white and pink noise actually shows, the gaps in the evidence for brown noise, and how to try it safely.