Music grabs attention and distracts us from other feedback. You might have noticed the same phenomenon when working. Listening to music or maybe even a podcast helps when replying to emails, but it impedes when completing a task requiring deep focus. When we need to expend our cognitive resources on staying engaged, even the subtle beat of the music in the background sends us to sensory overload. When effort is required, you need to be engaged. It’s why endurance athletes ditch the headphones to train the capacity to be alone in their heads.
The author doesnt cite any source for this. My guess is that it's valid for endurance athletes, but not for writers or office workers. Personally, listening to a podcast, or anything with words, is distracting whether I'm handling emails or writing.
