The Power of Music: Find Your ADHD Rhythm

Music impacts us in many powerful ways. It can influence mood, improve mental health and reduce stress levels. Music therapists affirm that music supports psychological, cognitive and communicative needs. Neurologist Oliver Sacks states, “Nothing activates the brain as extensively as music.”

The Benefits of Music for ADHD

Supports Self-Regulation and Emotional Control

Music can significantly support individuals with ADHD, helping improve language development, impulse control, sleep, productivity and emotional regulation. These benefits are crucial since people with ADHD often struggle with self-regulation and managing emotional variability. When in a low-arousal state, the ADHD brain can easily wander.

“Music’s structure can help the ADHD brain stay on a linear path.”

– Kirsten Hutchinson, Music Therapist

Provides Structure and Organization

The rhythm, melody and harmony of music provide the structure many people with ADHD need.

“Music is very structured, which appeals to ADHD minds as they crave a sense of organization. Each song has a beginning, middle and end, making it predictable. Beats and rhythms have specific structures that can help refocus and encourage better mental and physical organization.”

– Will Tottle

Creates Strong Brain Activity

Scientists have studied real-time brain activity in people playing instruments using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Neuroscience shows that playing music is equivalent to a full-body workout for the brain. Various regions of the brain collaborate to process and connect musical elements at high speed.

This heightened brain activity leads to ripple effects, such as improved problem-solving in academic and social settings, sustained attention, better impulse control and enhanced decision-making. Additionally, making music with others boosts self-esteem and develops social skills.

Provides Auditory Stimulation

Listening to music with varying rhythms can slow down or speed up mental and physical processes. For individuals with ADHD, this external stimulation is critical for executive functioning, which includes planning, organizing and managing time.

“Rhythm, melody and tempo are tools used to target non-musical behaviors that jumpstart change in the body. A change in rhythm can trigger a reaction in the brain, making a person aware that something’s changed and that they need to pay attention.”

– Rebecca West, Music Institute of Chicago

Listening to music increases blood flow to brain regions that generate and control emotions, promoting a positive mental state. Pleasurable music may also raise dopamine levels, which impacts attention, working memory and motivation—three areas often challenging for individuals with ADHD.

Helps Manage Time and Tasks

Music can improve time awareness for ADHD brains, which often struggle to “see time.” For example, creating a playlist for specific tasks can serve as an auditory cue to transition between activities.

When a song ends, it signals that it’s time to move to the next task. This auditory “routine” supports both children and adults with executive functioning challenges, helping them transition and pace their actions effectively.

Enhances Working Memory and Task Speed

Studies show that background music can improve working memory and the speed of skill-based tasks. This is particularly beneficial for individuals with ADHD, who may process information more slowly or find it challenging to retrieve facts.

Some auditory learners even remember information better by singing it to familiar tunes.

Boosts Energy and Motivation

Listening to enjoyable music increases blood flow to brain regions that regulate emotion, helping shift the listener to a positive state of mind. It also raises dopamine levels, which motivates action. Dopamine, often called the “feel-good chemical,” is typically in short supply for people with ADHD.

What Type of Music is Most Helpful?

For Study and Complex Tasks

Classical music is widely regarded as helpful for tasks requiring deep concentration, such as studying.

Best-selling author Edward Hallowell, M.D., who has ADHD, writes all his books while listening to music. He explains, “The music can’t have words, has to have a certain tempo, and has to last a while without stopping and starting.” His favorite composers for focus include Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart and Handel.

The “Mozart Effect” suggests that listening to Mozart’s music can temporarily improve cognitive performance.

To Reduce Stress and Boost Creativity

Both jazz and symphonic music are credited with reducing stress by lowering cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. Jazz music, in particular, is known to enhance creativity.

To Enhance Focus

Lo-fi (low-fidelity) music, which features intentional imperfections like missed notes or background hums, is said to stimulate the frontal lobe of the brain, improving focus in some individuals with ADHD.

For Repetitive or Boring Tasks

Familiar music can be particularly effective when completing repetitive or tedious tasks, as it helps sustain attention and focus. For ADHD brains, staying engaged in tasks that are uninteresting can be a challenge, and music can help bridge that gap.

For a Single Focus

Background music can mask distractions, making it easier to concentrate on tasks that require a singular focus.

For Productivity

Pop Music: Research from an English company specializing in workplace playlists found that pop music is the most effective genre for productivity. Its consistent tempos, timbres, and sound palettes allow listeners to focus on their work without being overwhelmed by the music.

R&B: R&B music is also beneficial, offering smooth production and vocal lines that help the brain focus and direct more energy toward tasks.

Music is Personal—The Choice is Yours

Ultimately, the most effective music is the one that works best for you. Match the tempo and genre to your specific needs. Do you need more energy, or are you trying to calm down? Everyone’s preferences are unique, and what works for one person may distract another.

Be mindful of when music may not be beneficial. For example, practicing piano can leave the music lingering in your mind, note by note, which may be distracting for some. Also, avoid practicing alerting activities like playing an instrument too late at night, as it could interfere with sleep.

Consider your volume preferences as well. Social events often feature loud music, which can be overwhelming for individuals with ADHD. Noise-canceling earbuds can help reduce overstimulation in such situations.

Conclusion

Music offers numerous benefits for individuals with ADHD, providing structure, organization and rhythm. It can reduce stress, enhance concentration, energize and motivate.

Music is a powerful tool to add to your ADHD management strategies. Discover the difference it can make for you! Schedule a free consultation with an ADHD coach today!

Resources

• How Can Music Affect Your Mood and Reduce Stress? Greg Aiello, PPLPRS

• How Playing Piano Affects the Brain, MusiProf

• Focused Adult ADHD Clinic, ADHD.md

• Music for Healthy ADHD Brains: 8 Songs for Focus, ADDitude

• Harmonizing ADHD Management with Music, Alice Gendron, The Mini ADHD Coach

• Rhythm and Notion: 10 Benefits of Music for ADHD Brains, Patti Catalano, MM, MT-BC, ADDitude

• Music for Productivity: The Ultimate Work Playlist Guide, Alexandra Carr, PPLPRS

• The Effects of Music on ADHD, National Institute of Health, PMC

• Improving Productivity: How Can Music Improve Productivity and Focus, PPLPRS