Music has a way of filling areas with meaning and reverberating through dark crevices. It can make you feel lively and cry or help you relax.
Can it, however, increase productivity?
Whether celebrating or relaxing after work, we use music to create the atmosphere and mood. But music has evolved into an escape from outside disturbances or tedious activities. It is more important in this age that most of us are constantly sitting in front of a computer screen.
So, how effective is music in helping you concentrate on your work?
Let's examine the research on music and productivity.
Individuals who listened to music performed their work more quickly and had better ideas. However, some musical genres reduce productivity. According to numerous studies, popular music obstructs comprehension skills and information processing.
I have difficulty focusing when I'm working and when someone is talking. Similarly to this, playing music with lyrics may be quite annoying. It seems like I'm not by myself. When listening to music, the listener is actively switching between activity and also the music, as compared to the music just serving as background noise.
Once more, this is based on the listener's preferences and the genre of music.
Dr. Haake has conducted a study on workplace music listening and has identified several variables that may affect if music is disturbing:
Complex Musical Composition
Compared to songs with a straightforward three-chord pattern, such as John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane," music with a more complicated musical structure, like Frank Zappa's "Muffin Man," may be more disturbing to listeners.
Lyrics
Lyrics can be distracting since they make you concentrate on the song's message and derail your mental process.
Listening practices
When someone gets acclimated to listening to music while working, it frequently has a positive rather than a negative effect. But, unfortunately, the opposite is also accurate.
Below, however, are the types of music that can affect your productivity positively:
Classical music
Composers like Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel spring to mind when we think about classical music. Seven of eight radiologists who participated in a study discovered that baroque music improved their concentration and mood while working.
Nature Music
The benefits of listening to nature music include improved focus and cognitive performance. While abrupt sounds like birdcalls and other noises might be distracting, soothing sounds like running water, rain, and rustling leaves work brilliantly.
Epic Music
Epic music might give you the impression that you are making a significant contribution to changing the world. It strengthens and elevates you. Therefore, try to listen to some great music to give yourself that additional motivational boost when you're feeling drained and uninspired at work.
Video Game Music
Video game music is an excellent option because the songs are created expressly to improve your gaming experience. After all, you must avoid that fire or use cunning movement to get through swarms of foes. Perhaps the Bastion soundtrack or one of the SimCity tunes to get started, to name a couple.
Background music
Try background music if you're feeling overwhelmed at work. According to Brian Eno, the man behind Music for Airports: "Ambient music must be as negligible as it is intriguing; it must be capable of accommodating multiple degrees of paying attention without imposing one in particular."
Other Musical Genres
You can also listen to different genres of music while working, including jazz, blues, and music for meditation. Use "white noise" to drown out your noisy co-workers or the adjacent printer if you want to block them out.
Try several things to see what works. For example, while a high-energy piece can help you stay on track, something soft and soothing may help you concentrate on your work. Certainly, there are occasions when remaining silent is the best option.