Blog posts will be on hold until further notice due to the busy schedules of our writers.
Many people enjoy listening to music while they work, but how does it affect their performance?
To answer this question, we’ll need to understand the psychology of music. According to the article Why — and How — Music Moves Us, When people listen to music, the brain naturally increases blood flow to a part of the brain called the limbic system. Because of this increased blood flow, the limbic system, which controls emotional and behavioral responses, naturally releases dopamine (“the happy hormone”), which makes you happier or more joyful when you listen to music.
Why does this matter? Well, according to an article from the University of Central Flordia called Your Brain on Music, this natural brain response from listening to music can impact people “[...]by reducing stress, pain[,] and symptoms of depression as well as improving cognitive and motor skills, spatial-temporal learning[,] and neurogenesis, which is the brain’s ability to produce neurons.”
This means that music can actually boost your work productivity and efficiency. As stated in the article Can Music Make You More Productive?, studies have shown that listening to music has actually been found to “[...]improve our performance on cognitive tasks, such as spatial or verbal ability tests[.]” The same article also states that music can be a good productivity tool to help you stay focused on your tasks by blocking out distractions.
All this is great, but does it work for everyone? The short answer is no. As discussed in the article Music and Its Effect on Productivity, for many, music is an excellent tool for people who want to stay concentrated on their tasks. However, many people also find listening to music while doing their work distracting and even “attention-breaking.”
Additionally, music’s effects on productivity are mainly affected by what tasks you’re doing. For example, I often enjoy listening to music while I do math homework, but I dislike listening to music while reading or writing because it breaks my focus. However, for others, it may be the exact opposite.
There are also many techniques for using music as a tool for productivity. According to the article How Music Can Help You Study, the key is to find music that you enjoy and helps you stay focused. For some, it may be Lofi music; for others, it may be hip-hop. Another major factor is ensuring your music isn’t too loud. A general tip is to keep your music below the volume you would listen to when you’re not working.
Overall, make sure you enjoy the music you’re listening to and get your work done on time. Happy listening!
Sources used:
https://www.pfizer.com/news/articles/why_and_how_music_moves_us
https://www.ucf.edu/pegasus/your-brain-on-music/
https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/limbic-system
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/11294-music-effect-on-productivity.html