The singer said ‘I could hardly breathe, and my arms and my chest were blue – and my face.’

Singer Max George has said his heart condition has been “a blessing in ways”, as he discussed the importance of charity work and raising awareness as part of his recovery. The 37-year-old was admitted to hospital in December 2024 and doctors discovered he had a 2:1 block on his heart and needed urgent surgery because his heart rate was not improving.

George was fitted with a pacemaker that week, which he described as a “shock”, and has since been on the mend – having returned to performing with duo The Wanted 2.0 last year. He is now backing a new campaign by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to raise awareness of people living with heart conditions.

In an interview with the Press Association, George reflected on how he finds it “really rewarding” to speak to people about his condition. The singer started publicly speaking about his heart problems during his time in hospital almost two years ago, when he documented the experience on Instagram due to “boredom”.

He said: “To interact with people was just something nice to do. But the more I spoke to people, the more I realised that there was a lot of people my age and younger that have had this happen to them. It kind of triggered a thought process that it was important to get the word out there – that (heart problems) don’t just happen to people over 75.

“If I can help them with their story or help bring more money towards treatment for heart conditions, then I’m all for it.”

He added: “In terms of that, this whole thing has been a blessing in ways, because it’s been really rewarding speaking to people, especially people that are younger than me, and helping them feel a little bit better about their case.”

George was diagnosed a heart block which, according to the NHS website, is caused by a problem with the electrical pulses controlling the heartbeat and can be helped by having a pacemaker fitted to keep the heart beating regularly. He said: “It was mad. I knew something was seriously wrong, because I could hardly breathe, and my arms and my chest were blue – and my face.

“It was a shock more than anything. My heart rate was so low at that time, it was at around 24 (beats per minute) and it was like that for about eight days whilst I was in hospital waiting for the operation.

“I couldn’t physically feel anything that was going on, but I was aware of it. There were times where it kind of felt like torture a little bit.”

As part of the BHF campaign, George will speak with people who have heart conditions and they will swap stories about their experiences. He told PA he is “genuinely buzzing” to be part of the campaign, which will see the charity unveil 65 red benches – one for each year it has been established – across the UK in tribute to those living with cardiovascular disease.

Each bench carries the name of a survivor plus a short message about them and what they enjoy. George said: “It feels really cool to be a part of it. “This is an awesome campaign to be supporting, and we’ll just see where it goes.”

Manchester-born George rose to fame in the 2010s with The Wanted alongside bandmates Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Nathan Sykes and Tom Parker – who died in 2022 at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. The group, best known for songs including All Time Low, Glad You Came and Chasing The Sun, had two UK number one singles and four UK top 10 albums.

George also appeared in US musical series Glee and competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2020, where he met former EastEnders star Maisie Smith, who is now his girlfriend.

This picturesque place in North Wales is a hotspot for hikers and bikers, with spectacular waterfalls including Swallow Falls and traditional cosy pubs

Enveloped by forests, mountains, trails, rivers and cascading waterfalls, this village is a picture-perfect haven in Wales just begging to be discovered.

Betws-y-Coed is recognised by keen hikers and cyclists as a prime location for adventures, and with good cause, as it caters for every kind of outdoor pursuit imaginable.

Combine this with its rich history, evident in its delightful heritage buildings, and the area is teeming with life and tales waiting to be shared.

In Conwy, the village lies within easy reach of the eastern edge of Snowdonia, meaning tourists frequently pass through.

What’s more, the North Wales destination is positioned near the meeting point of both the River Conwy and the River Llugwy, resulting in a wealth of stunning water features in and around the area.

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Waterfalls

There are three waterfalls close to Betws-y-Coed, and Swallow Falls is the most visited by far. It’s ranked as the top attraction near the village, located roughly two miles away, and for good reason: its multi-tiered waterfall along the river is truly spectacular.

In fact, one recent visitor declared on TripAdvisor it’s the finest waterfall in the whole of Europe. They wrote: “First off, these are the best waterfalls in Europe.

Second, the waterfalls are very beautiful. Third, they have nice rocks. Lastly, this is the thing to see in Betws-y-Coed.”

Unlike many impressive waterfalls, this one doesn’t demand a lengthy and treacherous trek.

The principal viewing point is reached via turnstiles opposite a hotel car park, where admission costs approximately £2 – a fee which goes directly towards preserving the site’s natural splendour.

Another breathtaking waterfall nearby is Fairy Glen, steeped in mythical folklore and legend. It’s frequently described as a “magical” destination in reviews and can be enjoyed from as little as 50p entry fee.

One visitor wrote: “This place is magical. Tucked away, but with good defined paths – it was beautiful. The riverside walk along was equally beautiful with rapids and whirlpools, and then tranquillity. Well maintained, a real treasure.”

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Historic railway

The Conwy Valley Railway Museum is a wonderful attraction for railway enthusiasts and those simply seeking an enjoyable family day out, particularly for the popular train ride.

The miniature railway allows guests to meander through the picturesque grounds, spotting miniature villages, tunnels and bridges along the way, with plenty of hidden gems to discover – ideal for keeping youngsters entertained.

Inside, the museum houses an extensive collection of vintage railway memorabilia, giving visitors the opportunity to browse old tickets, timetables, equipment and workers’ uniforms. Together, these exhibits paint a vivid portrait of the ‘golden age’ of rail travel throughout the UK.

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One delighted visitor said: “Amazing experience, fairly priced, staff were amazing and helpful, best for families with young children. The train ride lasted about 8 minutes but was perfect for young children.”

Pubs

At the heart of the village, visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to dining, with everything from cafés to fish and chips, a pizzeria and highly-rated restaurants, but it’s the traditional pubs that truly stand out.

A well-loved fixture in the area is the striking stable pub and bar, Y Stablau, boasting an abundance of outdoor seating ideal for the summer months and a consistently vibrant atmosphere. A guest noted: “Good selection of food on the menu with large portions.

“The outside seating area is beautiful with a lovely atmosphere. It was very busy when we arrived, but don’t let that put you off. There were lots of staff on hand to help, and they were very friendly. You won’t be disappointed.”

For a somewhat more traditional ambience, Ty Gwyn Hotel Restaurant serves not only as a retreat for tourists in the area but also as a cosy dining destination, offering wholesome, satisfying meals. Similarly, there’s the Royal Oak Hotel and Pont Y Pair Inn, which sit alongside the village’s famously picturesque bridge.

Built around 1500, the bridge was originally designed for packhorses to enable people to cross the river, and remains a prominent landmark in the village to this day.

It’s a stunning sight, framed by large rocks as the river rushes beneath it at considerable speed, and diners can soak up the view from the pub and hotel.

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“After using whitening toothpaste over the years and them not working I am extremely impressed by these strips”

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Everyday staples such as tea, coffee and red wine are amongst the most frequent culprits behind tooth discolouration, as they can diminish the natural radiance of a smile over time. Increasingly, people are looking for gentle, home-based teeth whitening solutions that integrate seamlessly into their daily routines without the sensitivity sometimes associated with conventional bleaching methods.

Modern day whitening products are advanced enough to offer gradual stain elimination rather than aggressive chemical lightening, placing priority on enamel protection and convenience. One such product is from MySweetSmile, whose approach reportedly focuses on merging cosmetic outcomes with formulations designed to be appropriate for routine application.

Currently, the MySweetSmile Teeth Whitening Strips are priced at £19.99 on Amazon, with over 300 purchased in the past month. The whitening strips are formulated to address surface stains resulting from everyday habits whilst being appropriate for sensitive teeth.

They feature an enamel-safe composition that excludes peroxide-based bleaching, instead concentrating on a more progressive brightening effect that corresponds with regular use. Designed to fit into a typical morning routine, the strips require only a brief application period and are intended to work without complex preparation or extended wear.

The design aims to provide a handy solution for those seeking to brighten their smile without disrupting daily routines. Each pack includes 21 individual treatments, sufficient for three full cycles and, as per the website, they should be used once daily for seven days to achieve optimal results, reports the Mirror.

The Teeth Whitening Strips are available from MySweetSmile

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The strips are proving popular during the festive season

Also available on Amazon is the MySweetSmile Teeth Whitening Powder, reduced to £19.99 from £24.99. This product comes in two flavours, mint and strawberry, and is designed to combat everyday staining, as its formula assists in removing discolouration caused by coffee, tea, wine, smoking and natural ageing.

According to Amazon, the straightforward dip and brush routine takes just a few minutes and is peroxide-free, safe for enamel and suitable for older teeth as well as dental work such as crowns, veneers and bonding. If these aren’t the products for everyone, Smile Therapy offers its Advanced Teeth Whitening and Cleaning Strips (14 Treatments) for £17.99, reduced from £39.99 on their website.

When applied to teeth, each strip is said to release the active ingredients of the whitening formula into the tooth’s structure to help remove surface stains. Boots offers another option with the Rapid White 5 Minute Dissolving Tooth Whitening Strips priced at £25.

Claimed to be clinically proven to brighten teeth by up to five shades in four days, or three shades in a single use, these strips are ultra-thin, flexible and include an accelerator along with an instant whitening toothpaste. The MySweetSmile products have achieved a respectable 3.9 out of 5 stars rating on Amazon.

One customer commented: “Used these for 7 days now and noticed quite a difference. Have ordered my second box.”

Another added as part of a more detailed review: “Took a chance on this because of the reviews on different sites/social media. Glad I did as it worked. Okay, I don’t have sparking bright white teeth (yet), but they are around 5-6 shades lighter after 7 days.

“I understand how long it takes to work and how much can vary from person to person, so I was very surprised and pleased I noticed a slight change from the first time I used it. After using whitening toothpaste over the years and them not working I am extremely impressed by these strips. They are not overly cheap, but I wouldn’t say they were really expensive, but as they worked they are worth the money.”

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Some buyers deducted a star, noting: “After using a few weeks, it seems to help remove stains from teeth. Easy to use but need to keep it for at least 25 mins which is quite long. Also, after removing it, there is a very sticky residue left on teeth when needs a bit of effort to remove it. Doesn’t taste bad either.”

Another individual commented: “Really clear instructions and comfortable to use. Didn’t really have high expectations and have only had for two days but I’m sure I am already seeing a difference.”

On the whole, most people were satisfied: “They’re super easy to use. enamel-safe and don’t cause any sensitivity at all. I’ve tried sooo many whitening products before, but these are on another level.

“Within a few days, I noticed a significant difference – my teeth are visibly whiter and brighter! Plus, they fit comfortably and don’t slip around. Trust me, try them and you won’t be disappointed!”.

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI – prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

World Book Day seems to come around in the blink of an eye – and every year I find myself scrabbling to pull together a suitable costume that won’t result in an early-morning meltdown.

If you don’t have time to craft something from scratch – and let’s face it, who does with all the other life and school admin piling up? – I’ve done the heavy lifting for you.

Here’s a cool collection of costumes (and matching books), so you can simply click, add to basket, hit ‘buy’ and feel smug next Thursday (5 March) when everything’s sorted.

It’s thought the idea behind World Book Day actually began in Spain, with the Catalan tradition of giving books to friends and family in honour of the author Miguel de Cervantes.

In 1995, World Book and Copyright Day was created by UNESCO with a view to promoting reading, publishing and copyright. Each year it falls on 23 April.

As children in the UK are usually on a school holiday around that time of year, World Book Day is typically celebrated on the first Thursday in March instead.

The Gorton and Denton byelection had been billed as a close three-horse race. Then Hannah Spencer won by a remarkable landslide.

Victory was the flavour of the night for the Hannah Spencer. In a stunning landslide, the Greater Manchester plumber, and newly qualified plasterer as she so gleefully announced, became the first Green Party member to win a seat in the north of England.

It had long been billed as a close three-horse race. But that reality soon faded when the count at Manchester Central was finally revealed after six tense hours. The polls closed at 10pm sharp – and the battle was firmly on, much like it had been for weeks.

The people of Denton and Gorton are too used to scandal and sleaze – their home constituency thrust into a manic media spotlight with infighting and dirty tricks which all started with a WhatsApp scandal last year.

As ballot boxes arrived one by one on Thursday (February 26), the night was not without its fair share of chaos. Journalists at the Manchester Evening News were snubbed by Labour, a row erupted over claims of ‘family voting’ and colluding between voting intentions, resulting in brash claims of party ‘cheating’, and an overwhelmed Hannah Spencer arrived late to the count and managed to avoid media questioning.

Follow LIVE updates here as Greens win byelection

It’s been a night to remember. Commentators and journalists have repeatedly noted the constituency’s huge divide and for a while, it was anyone’s game.

It is a constituency of two halves, as explored by the Manchester Evening News, with the Manchester side predominantly made up of younger and ethnically diverse residents and the Tameside half inhabited by mainly older, white British people.

There was a tough bid from Spencer, Goodwin and Stogia. They were tipped as the top runners early on, but a clear winner was vacant. Polls repeatedly changed. Nobody really knew which way it was going to go.

The night started off to a chaotic start. It took just an hour for an almighty row to erupt after the polls closed. Independent election observers Democracy Volunteers claimed there were ‘extremely high’ cases of illegal ‘family voting’ at polling stations in Gorton and Denton.

The firm said they had visited 22 of the 45 polling stations, and claimed to have witnessed incidents of family voting in 15 of the 22 polling stations observed, with some 32 cases in total. The Green Party, Reform UK and Labour have also since all responded to the claims, which Reform’s Matt Goodwin described as ‘deeply concerning’.

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It prompted early fears of a re-count or appeal. Manchester council asked why the group issued their statement after polls closed at 10pm and not sooner. They also said staff were not told of family voting issues on-the-ground.

It was then that voting numbers were released. Despite more than 50 per cent of electorate not turning out to vote, it was billed as being a success, with more crossing their sheet than in the general election. Officials revealed the turnout was 47.62 per cent, with 36,903 votes cast.

Shortly after, the mood changed in the counting room. Reporters at the scene said rumblings of a Green victory began after the votes were verified. The ambiguity of the result was all of a sudden becoming much clearer and excitement grew.

So loud was the noise, that Labour’s Lucy Powell got herself in a sticky situation on Sky News, admitting that the Greens had ‘won the argument‘ on getting voters to divert away from Reform. She looked downtrodden as she said: “What’s clear is the Greens have turned out their vote higher than they might have otherwise done.

“There was a clear majority in this constituency that didn’t want Reform to win. People have been grappling with what to do in choosing who to vote for, and on the day the Greens have won that argument more strongly than we have.”

In the newsroom, political commentators and insiders were also billing for a Green victory. We kept the people of Gorton and Denton updated throughout it all. Had Labour voters defected to Green?

It was also referenced just how unique this byelection was. The Manchester-half of the constituency is largely ethnic minority groups and younger – a patch where smaller parties previously made inroads. It is also double the population of the Tameside and Denton part of the patch.

The candidates arrived one by one. Sir Oink-A-Lot, from the Monster Raving Loony party was met with cheers and fanfare. A bizarre but expected entrance, jumping in like he’d just necked a few pints at the pub, complete with stick on snout.

There was silence in the room as Labour’s candidate, Angeliki Stogia arrived. News had already escaped the was likely to have been pipped to the post by the Greens and Reform. Walking alongside Powell, she put on a brave face, but was clearly downtrodden and emotional.

Next up was Matt Goodwin for Reform, who launched quite quickly into a rant and conceded victory to the Greens, slamming the expected victory as being down to ‘a coalition of woke progressives and islamists’.

And last to arrive was Hannah Spencer. With Green’s leader Zack Polanski grinning like a Cheshire cat, it’s as though they already knew. She was quizzed on her punctuality, or lack of, seeming to dodge the camera and make a run for it before the big announcement.

Then the results came. A landslide victory for the Green Party and a working-class girl from Manchester. Not only throwing Keir Starmer’s tenure into dispute, but marking her as the first Green MP elected in the North. The 34-year-old won by a majority of more than 4,000 votes.

Her speech offered hope to the working class people of Greater Manchester. Hailing from the region and working in south Manchester, she emphasised that she is one of us.

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“I am no different to every single person here in this constituency. I work hard. That is what we do,” she said. “People in their thousands told me, on the doorstep and at the ballot box, that what we are sick of is being let down and looked down on.

“We will finally get a seat at the table. We can demand better without hating each other. We ran a hopeful campaign backed by thousands of volunteers and activists. We defeated the parties of billionaire donors.

“Because this is Manchester. We do things differently here.”

But the bitterness that we have seen in this fight didn’t cease. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage swiftly accused the Greens of cheating their way to victory in a damning statement. Labour’s Angeliki snubbed the Manchester Evening News and refused to talk after she was pushed down to third place, making a swift exit.

It isn’t all catfighting. Hannah Spencer’s confident and profound speech will be music to the ears of many in Gorton and Denton. The only people who may be disappointed, are her customers she won’t have chance to visit.

“I might have to cancel the work you’ve booked in,” she quipped. “I’m heading to Parliament.”

A police officer has been sacked for moonlighting as a barista while receiving full pay from his force.

PC Stanley Kennett, 31, ran The Coffee Cycle, based in a bike shop in Storrington, West Sussex, while employed by the Metropolitan Police.

He tried to register it as a business interest while suspended from duty in April 2024, but was rejected.

Despite not appealing the decision, he continued working at the coffee shop.

The misconduct hearing found this amounted to gross misconduct, and he has been placed on the College of Policing’s barred list.

Commander Andy Brittain said: ‘This was not simply a volunteering opportunity, this was a full-blown and expanding business supported by incorporation of that business, the granting of a director’s loan and employment of staff.

‘Pc Kennett is also noted to have been actively engaged on social media promoting that business.

‘This was a sophisticated operation, and Pc Kennett appears heavily involved at all points.

‘All of which appears to undermine the submission on his behalf that at relevant points he lacked capacity to understand the significance of the consequences of his actions.’

He added: ‘Running a business, whether for financial gain or not, whilst suspended on full pay, brings policing and the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) in particular into disrepute.

‘Members of the public would not expect serving police officers to act in this way.’

It comes as an officer, referred to as Sergeant X by Avon and Somerset Police, has been barred from working in any UK law enforcement agencies after she used a work-from-home hack.

She was found to have weighed down her keyboard with a picture frame, while her keystrokes were identified as ‘significantly high’ in 2024 by the force’s Professional Standards Department.

An investigation was opened, and it was discovered the majority of shifts she worked had between three to eight times higher keystroke count than her colleagues in a similar role.

She admitted to using the corner of a picture frame to weight down her keyboard so her laptop would not go into ‘sleep mode’ while going through challenges in her personal life.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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The earthquake was widely felt across both Canary Islands on Thursday, with residents reporting rooms vibrating and furniture shaking, though no damage was reported

Residents and tourists across Tenerife and Gran Canaria have been urged to remain calm after thousands of people on both islands experienced a 4.1 magnitude earthquake.

Scientists have confirmed it is not linked to the seismic activity recorded over the past two weeks beneath Mount Teide on Tenerife, and have stressed that a volcanic eruption is not imminent.

Authorities acknowledge that many people were alarmed by the earthquake and questioned whether it was connected to the unusual seismic activity beneath Teide, but experts have moved to reassure the public that there is no such connection.

“In 1989, in this same area, an earthquake of 5.3 was recorded that was felt throughout the island of Tenerife,” said IGN volcanologist Rubén López, who dissociated this earthquake from the recent rebound in seismicity in the Cañadas del Teide area.

Witnesses reported rooms shaking and furniture rattling following the earthquake, which struck at 12.26pm today at a depth of ten kilometres.

The quake was not centred beneath Mount Teide, but rather beneath the Enmedio volcano, situated between Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

The National Geographic Institute confirmed the earthquake measured 4.1 in the vicinity of the Enmedio Volcano, located in the channel separating the two islands.

The tremor was widely felt by residents and visitors across various parts of both Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

Given its magnitude and the depth of its hypocentre, the quake prompted a significant number of reports from members of the public who distinctly felt the movement.

In municipalities such as Arico in Tenerife, witnesses Residents reported vibrations lasting around five seconds, with some describing how “the whole room was shaking” throughout the incident.

One Agaete resident in Gran Canaria explained: “It lasted about ten seconds and was more noticeable than ever, moving the whole house,” adding: “It went from less to more. At first it seemed like the closing of a door, but then the whole house moved.”

The National Geographic Institute (IGN) has documented the towns where the earthquake was detected at different intensity levels. The tremor didn’t just affect Tenerife but also impacted multiple locations across Gran Canaria, being registered in over 100 populated areas spanning the two principal islands.

Among these locations are several popular tourist destinations including Los Cristianos in Tenerife and Las Palmas on Gran Canaria. Within these zones, the earthquake was felt distinctly inside buildings, causing alarm among some residents and holidaymakers. Authorities have confirmed no significant material damage or injuries have been recorded.

The Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (INVOLCAN) has emphasised that “this earthquake has no relation whatsoever” to the volcanic seismicity recorded in Tenerife in recent weeks.

The area of Enmedio Volcan The region ranks among the Canary Islands’ most seismically active zones, situated on a submerged fault line between the two capital islands.

Whilst seismic activity is routine in this location, earthquakes surpassing magnitude 4 typically cause heightened alarm amongst residents as they’re distinctly felt within properties.

Experts are reconvening tomorrow to further analyse the thousands of tremors detected beneath Mount Teide on Tenerife.

They emphasise an eruption is not expected in the near or medium-term future, as the warning signs would be markedly different. Nevertheless, they’re urging all Tenerife municipalities to refresh their emergency protocols, pointing out that residents in countries such as Iceland are fully prepared with clear procedures should an eruption occur.

Tenerife’s government maintains the island possesses the most advanced and comprehensive monitoring infrastructure available and stresses there’s no reason for public concern.

The Green Party’s Hannah Spencer has won the Gorton and Denton by-election, with 14,980 votes.

She beat Reform UK’s Matt Goodwin with 10,578 votes, and Labour’s Angeliki Stogia with 9,364 votes.

The constituency had long been considered a safe Labour seat, with the vote triggered by the resignation of former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne in January due to ill health.

He was elected as a Labour MP in 2005 in the previous Denton and Reddish constituency, but was suspended from the party last year after sending offensive WhatsApp messages.

For most of human existence, listening was closely tied to moments that carried meaning, emotion or survival. Nature supplied the backdrop – wind, water, animals – and music surfaced in hunting rituals, healing ceremonies and communal celebrations.

That balance began to shift with the industrial revolution, and the arrival of many loud, unnatural sounds. Today, many people move through the day with a near-constant stream of sounds: playlists for work, ambient study tracks, noise-cancelling headphones on commutes, podcasts on walks, background music for comfort.

Sound is no longer occasional or, for much of the time, collective. It is personal, portable and continuous.

What has changed is not only how we listen, but what listening is for. Many people use sound to manage how they feel and perform – to drown out distractions, stay motivated, reduce stress or make demanding tasks feel easier. Streaming platforms use music labels such as “deep focus” or “workflow” – signalling that these sounds are designed to do something for your mind.

There are upsides to this modern soundscape. In busy workplaces or homes, shaping the auditory environment can restore a sense of control and reduce disturbance – especially from intelligible speech. What we listen to can be a key tool for emotional self-regulation.

But there are downsides too. Continuous audio can crowd out silence, which supports recovery and reflection. What often disappears in a continuous soundscape is not just silence but the space to think. This daily exposure to non-stop music, chat and other sounds may be shaping how you think, decide and cope without you even noticing.

The always-on effect

Neuroscience points not to a dramatic rewiring of our brains through this changing audio experience, but a gradual adaptation. Repeated sound environments shape how attention is allocated, how effort is experienced and how mental states stabilise over time.

Those effects vary, though, depending on the context. Music can support repetitive or low-complexity tasks by increasing engagement and reducing boredom. But when tasks rely on language, problem-solving or new learning, the same music can compete for attention, making sustained thinking feel more effortful.

How listening shapes thinking:

Reviews consistently find that music with lyrics is more likely to interfere with reading, writing and verbal reasoning, and that harder tasks are generally more vulnerable to interference. When sound competes with task demands, it can increase mental effort and fatigue, even if outward performance remains unchanged.

Experimental work suggests higher background sound levels can impair auditory working-memory performance — the capacity to hold and rehearse spoken information while filtering competing sounds. In other words, sound can reshape how thinking is experienced from the inside, long before measurable performance changes become visible.

Because these shifts accumulate gradually, they rarely announce themselves as effects. Instead, they shape mental defaults – how patiently you think, how quickly you judge and how you cope when answers aren’t clear.

Here are some ideas, based partly on my work exploring sound-based cognitive environments and learning readiness, for how to redesign your soundscape before it designs you.

Three principles of audio happiness

A simple principle is to match the sound environment to the kind of thinking you’re doing. Some types of louder sound can support repetitive work, while quieter conditions are often better for reading, writing or analytical reasoning.

While lyrical music is more likely to disrupt reading, writing and analytical work, simpler sound is often safer for language-heavy tasks. By contrast, for repetitive or low-complexity work, self-selected or familiar music may support engagement for some listeners by tuning arousal into a more workable range.

Familiar or self-selected music can sometimes support repetitive work because the brain spends less effort processing novelty. Instead of continuously analysing new sounds, attention can remain anchored on the task itself, helping stabilise alertness during routine activities.

A second principle is self-monitoring. Generic “focus playlist” advice is less useful than paying attention to your own signals: rising distraction, mental fatigue, irritability or the feeling that you are working harder than you should. Audio that boosts energy or enjoyment does not always improve sustained concentration.

When these signals appear, pausing your soundtrack and shifting to a simpler sound environment can help reset your attention balance. Reducing linguistic content, lowering volume or introducing short periods of silence may ease the cognitive load before performance begins to suffer.

Which brings me on to the third principle: protect silence. Quiet time supports neural recovery and internally directed thought – functions linked to default-mode brain activity, when regions linked to reflection, memory integration and future planning become more active.

But valuing silence does not mean removing sound altogether. Beginning complex tasks in quieter settings, introducing short sound-free intervals between activities, or ending the day without continuous background audio can give the brain space to reset attention and recover from sustained input.

Environmental noise can also influence sleep quality by increasing micro-awakenings and reducing deeper restorative stages, even when people do not fully wake up. Many people use sound to help them sleep, but evidence shows it can have a disruptive effect on sleep quality.

Day or night, the sounds we live with do more than just fill the background. They help shape the mental conditions under which we learn, decide and live.

And that is the perhaps uncomfortable point. If you don’t actively choose your soundscape, someone or something will choose it for you – and your mind may start adapting before you realise it.