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Music is everywhereplaying in coffee shops, on hold lines, in Ubers, behind YouTube ads, and of course, in your earbuds while you work. Its so constant, we often treat it like harmless background noise. But the brain doesnt. Whether we realize it or not, music is processed across multiple brain regions tied to attention, memory, and emotionmeaning even passive listening can impact how we focus, feel, and make decisions. Background music is never truly in the background. It either supports or competes with your mental state. And that means we have a choice. In todays fast-paced work culture, where multitasking is the norm and focus is scarce, how we use music can either support or sabotage our goals. The good news? With just a little intention, your playlist can become one of the most powerful productivity tools you already have. Think about how youre listening to music Music is one of the most overlooked productivity tools. The key isnt whether you listen to music, its how. Theres a difference between active listening and what we call purposeful passive listening. Both are powerful, but for different reasons. Active listening is fully engaging with the musictuning into the melody, rhythm, harmony, or lyrics. Its nearly impossible to multitask during this kind of listening, and thats the point. Use active listening when you need to regulate stress, reset emotionally, or refocus. Breathing with a steady beat, or allowing a favorite instrumental piece to quiet your inner noise, can activate the brains attention and emotional regulation systems. Over time, practicing this kind of deep listening can even strengthen interpersonal relationships, as it helps reinforce our capacity to tune in to others. Purposeful passive listening, on the other hand, involves choosing music to support a task or shift your mental state, without fully focusing on it. This is not about letting an algorithm autoplay. Its about intentionally selecting tracks: maybe lo-fi beats while cleaning out your inbox, or ambient strings while brainstorming. This kind of listening taps into the brains default mode network, the system that activates during daydreaming, introspection, and idea incubation. Engaging the default mode network can help you step back from focused work and allow space for insight, creativity, and big-picture thinking. Music, when used intentionally in the background, becomes a bridge between tasks and a subtle support system for imaginative work. Turn music into a mental habit Music also plays a surprising role in executive functionthe cognitive control system that helps us switch between tasks, regulate impulses, and manage working memory. Background music can enhance learning outcomes by improving arousal and mood, which are closely linked to cognitive performance. Listening to familiar, patterned music while working can help create structure for the brain, making transitions smoother and sustained attention more accessible. Its why some people instinctively reach for a playlist before writing an email, prepping for a meeting, or transitioning into a different type of work block. And it goes deeper. Have a go-to song that gives you a burst of energy? Dont just save it for the gym. Drop it into the middle of your workday, right before a presentation, during an afternoon slump, or when motivation dips. When you use the same song consistently with a particular task, your brain starts building an association. Over time, the music becomes a cue, like a mental shortcut into a focused or energized state. Maybe its We Will Rock You before a big pitch, or River Flows in You for concentration. Music activates the brains reward system, releasing dopamine, the same neurotransmitter associated with motivation and pleasure. The more consistently we attach meaning to a song, the more powerful its effect becomes. Use music enough, and your brain doesnt just hear the notes, it knows what to do next. Sound can be a strategy Music isnt just something we hear; its something that actively shapes our brain states. When used with intention, sound becomes a strategy: for focus, for recovery, for creativity, or for connection. In a world full of noise, its not about turning the music off. Its about tuning in. How to use music more intentionally at work Create a 3-track playlist: one for focus, one for a reset, one to energize. Pair a consistent song with a task you want to build into habit, like writing, prepping, or unwinding. Avoid music with lyrics when doing language-based tasks like writing or reading. Use instrumental or ambient music to transition between meetings or block your day. Try bookending your work day with music. Use the same track to start and end, and signal your brain into a productive rhythm. With just a little intention, your daily soundtrack can become one of the most effective tools for doing better workand feeling better while doing it.
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E-Commerce
Spring showers might bring flowers, but they can be a real hassle when you’re trying to look presentable at the office. Many of the best raincoats are made by outdoor brands, which tend to focus on utility rather than aesthetics. But a rugged jacket that is perfect for hiking through the rain can really ruin a professional look. When you’re headed to work, what you need is a jacket that is sleek and minimal, inspired by a traditional silhouette, like a trench coat or a car coat, but made from high-tech waterproof or water repellent materials. And ideally, you can find one that is so elegant that you want to reach for it throughout the spring and fall, even when the forecast is clear. Fortunately, there are many beautiful rain jackets that fit this description that match many styles and price points. Here are some of our favorites. Best Performance Canada Goose: Cardero Rain Jacket, $895 If you’re looking for complete rain protection, the Cardero jacket offers 100% waterproofing, thanks to its fabric and seam-sealed construction. It features three layers of material to keep you warm (It is perfect for spring days when the temperatures hover around 30 degrees Fahrenheit.) But it is not bulky. It has a sleek, contoured silhouette, thanks to a drawcord on the interior that cinches your waist. The large hood will keep your face dry (and makeup from running) through even the stormiest weather. Most Effortlessly Chic Sezane: Hugo Parka, $365 The French label Sezane has developed a parka designed to fit perfectly with its vintage-inspired, effortless Parisian aesthetic. What makes this jacket sing is all the little details: the large buttons, the wide sleeves that can be rolled up and attached, the oversize hood. It is made from a breathable organic cotton, with a water-resistant finish so it will keep you dry in most conditions. (You may want to wait out the torrential downpour, however.) That said, it is so fetching that you’ll want to wear it throughout the spring and fall. Best For Travel Stutterheim: Mosebacke Lightweight Raincoat, $270 Swedish label Stutterheim specializes in raincoats, so it knows what it’s doing. The Mosebacke epitomizes Scandinavian style, with its a-line shape and oversized hood. It is designed to make it easy to move: The eyelets under the arms create ventilation and the drawstring on the hood ensures it stays on when it’s very wet outside. It is thin, which makes it easy to pack for unpredictable weather as well as for traveling. Best Value Everlane: The Anorak, $178 If you want a rain jacket that will get the job done without breaking the bank, we suggest Everlane’s anorak. Made of a lightweight fabric blend of organic cotton and recycled nylon, it is treated with a water-resistant finish. It has a large hood that is both practical and a nice design element. In keeping with the brand’s pared-down aesthetic, it features clean lines without any unnecessary details. For those who need a slightly more casual jacket to wear to work, this is a good pick. Best in Class Mackage: Winn 2-in-1 Classic Trench Coat, $1,190 For a classic trench style that will keep you both warm and dry, Mackage has you covered. The Canadian brand has developed a flattering, tailored coat that is full of versatile features. It has a removable inner liner that adds warmth, so you can wear it through the colder months of the spring and fall, when the weather falls to below freezing. (This liner is also washable.) The exterior fabric is water-repellent and features a rain shedder feature that wicks water away from your body. But apart from its functionality, it is just a beautiful coat with plenty of chic details that make it stand out: buttoned shoulder tabs, a statement belt, adjustable cuffs and buttoned throat latch. While this jacket is on the pricier end of our list, it is good value because you can wear it year-round.
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E-Commerce
Whether youre familiar with the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche or are a fan of singer Kelly Clarkson, youve probably heard the phrase, What doesnt kill you makes you stronger. While it sounds like a cheer for persistence during tough times, its also scientifically true, says Jeff Krasno, author of Good Stress: The Health Benefits of Doing Hard Things. Stress, whether from physical challenges like ice baths or mental stressors like tough conversations, fosters resilience and long-term wellbeing, he says. The key is to differentiate between good stress and bad stress and use the former to your advantage. To understand the difference between good and bad stress, Krasno offers this example: If you were hiking and ran across a rattlesnake on the path, you’d probably have a stress response that serves your biological imperative to survive, he says. The problem with modern stress for so many people is that the rattlesnake never leaves the path. Bad Stress Versus Good Stress Many of us live in a state of chronic agitation that includes personal hardship, overwork, past trauma, and a 24-hour social media algorithm designed to keep people in a state of amygdala hijack. We live in an attention economy where everyone is vying for your focus at every moment through increasing levels of sensationalism and scandal and fear and outrage, says Krasno. It keeps people in a state of chronic stress, and that’s really when stress is bad. Good stress, on the other hand, comes from the discomforts our ancestors endured. We evolved for hundreds of thousands of years as Homo Sapiens with a relationship to Paleolithic stress, such as calorie scarcity, fluctuations in temperature, immersion in nature, communal living, and exposure to light, says Krasno. Adaptive mechanisms to those forms of stress formed physiological pathways in the body that promoted longevity and resilience. The problem is that weve denuded life of most Paleolithic stressors, says Krasno. For example, many of us we have an endless supply of calories at our disposal. We generally spend most of our time sedentary and inside temperature-regulated environments, removed from nature. And we rely on artificial light, which can impact sleep. Removing good stress in favor of comfort has had consequences, and Krasno says the increasing prevalence of chronic disease results from chronic ease. Weve fooled ourselves into thinking that we can exist as separate individuals in our single-family homes, ordering up DoorDash all day, says Krasno. Since the industrial revolution, particularly accelerating in the last 50 years, we have engineered our lifestyle for comfort and convenience. Introducing Good Stress Counterbalance bad stress by introducing good stress at the appropriate amount. Early 16th century Swiss physician Paracelsus said, only the dose makes the poison. The right dosage of self-imposed discomfort, such as strenuous activities, and temperature regulation, can make you stronger, says Krasno. But it’s important to start slowly. I would never advise anyone who has never ice plunged before to get into a 33-degree ice bath for the first time, says Krasno. Get into a 60-degree ice bath see what that feels like. Find the edge of your discomfort and lean into it and be curious about what’s on the other side of it, because it’s generally a very good thing. Krasno also advocates for leaning into social stress. I call it diving into the ice bath of hard, stressful conversations, becoming just a little bit more comfortable with our discomfort, so we can unwind a lot of infirmities, he says. As the host of the Commune podcast, where he talks about health and wellness, Krasno regularly encounters people who dont agree with his points of view, emailing or commenting on his posts. Instead of ignoring them or disagreeing publicly, he invites them to jump on a Zoom call. Most ghost him, but some accepted the call. He created a safe setting, acting polite, open, and curious. Leaning into discomfort We build our physiological immune system through low-grade exposure to pathogens and virus and bacteria, says Krasno. Through having these conversations, I built what I call my psychological immune system. In addition to being an exercise in connection, active listening, and open-mindedness, Krasno says it provided an opportunity for personal growth. It fortified my own opinions, because, for once, I had to consider the best part of an opposing opinion, he explains. People get trapped in the story that they tell themselves about themselves, but Krasno says change is possible if youre willing to lean into discomfort. Once you actually grasp your own impermanence, you can take agency over the trajectory of your life, he says. Embracing discomfort will change the trajectory of your life. Humans are just a process, not a product. We move dynamically across this spectrum from wholeness to disease and disaster. You can move towards wholeness as a process, too. You have agency over the trajectory of that journey.
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E-Commerce
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