Concentration & Focus Life Lack: Brainwave Entrainment
Struggling to Focus Lately? Try Brainwave Entrainment
By Rachel Kozy | March 11, 2020
Let’s be honest—life hasn’t been the same for a while. Between the pandemic, remote work, and online classes, our routines have been turned upside down. For many of us, staying focused and motivated at a screen all day—while juggling family, pets, and partners—is a serious challenge.
Over the past few months, I’ve been feeling it too. I’m currently a student at the Anderson School of Business, and our recent opening residency weekend tested every ounce of my concentration. Friday’s classes ran from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (with breaks, thankfully), followed by two more full days. While the professors did a fantastic job transitioning to an online format, I still ended the weekend completely mentally drained.
So I paused to reflect: What could I have done differently to stay more engaged? That’s when I remembered a technique I used as an undergrad—brainwave entrainment.
What Is Brainwave Entrainment?
Don’t let the name intimidate you. At its core, brainwave entrainment is a technique that helps sync your brain into specific frequncies associated with focus, relaxation, or creativity. This syncing process happens through external stimuli—most commonly, sound.
If you’ve read my article on meditation, you might recall the five main brainwave states:
Delta – Deep, dreamless sleep
Theta – Deep meditation, where your body is asleep but your mind is alert
Alpha – Relaxed focus and calm concentration
Beta – Active, alert, problem-solving state
Gamma – High-level information processing, learning, and memory recall
Which Brainwave States Are Best for Focus?
When it comes to concentration, Gamma and Alpha are particularly powerful:
Gamma is associated with learning, cognitive performance, and memory retention.
Alpha supports relaxed but attentive states—perfect for tasks that require imagination, visualization, or light studying.
Everyone’s brain is different, so I encourage you to experiment with both to see which one helps you get into “flow.”
How Does It Work?
One popular method is listening to binaural beats. Here’s how it works:
You listen to two different frequencies—one in each ear. Your brain automatically interprets the difference between the two as a new “beat,” and synchronizes itself to that frequency.
For example:
If your left ear hears 35 Hz and your right ear hears 30 Hz, your brain hears a third beat—5 Hz—and begins to entrain to that theta brainwave state.
Don’t worry if the science sounds complex—just think of it like this: the music gently nudges your brain into the state you want to be in, whether it’s relaxed, focused, or creative.
Where to Start
Before investing in devices, I suggest trying free resources like YouTube, which has a wide range of brainwave entrainment music. Try searching terms like:
“Binaural beats for focus and concentration”
“Alpha or gamma brainwave music”
“Brainwave entrainment for studying”
“Cognition enhancement music”
Play around and see what resonates (pun intended).
Tips for Getting Started
Give it time: Allow at least 10–15 minutes for your brain to adjust.
Set an intention: Take a deep breath and remind yourself you’re here to focus.
Keep an open mind: Results vary—don’t give up if one track doesn’t work.
Experiment: Try different frequencies and styles until you find your best fit.
If you’re struggling with attention or just want to optimize your mental performance, brainwave entrainment is a simple, low-effort technique worth trying. It helped me during a tough academic weekend, and it might help you too.
I’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences with it—and if there are other topics you’d like me to explore, feel free to reach out.
Stay curious :)
