Listening to music can improve our lives in some ways – a lot of us use it while exercising, to regulate our mood, or at work.
But does listening to music within the background while working really increase productivity?
This is a controversial topic. Some people swear by it, others find it painfully distracting. Research confirms that there isn’t a universal answer to this query.
The best way to use music within the workplace relies on several aspects, including your personality traits, what you do and what form of music you listen to.
Here’s how to discover what’s best for you.
Who are you
Your personality has a key influence on whether background music can enhance your productivity or be a distraction within the workplace, which relates to your unique optimal arousal level.
Arousal on this context refers to mental alertness and the brain’s readiness to process latest information. Background music can enhance this.
Tests suggests that being at an optimal level of arousal facilitates a state of “flow”, increasing efficiency and productivity.
Introverts have already got a high basic level of inner stimulation.
Adding background music may exceed optimal levels, possibly reducing productivity.
On the opposite hand, extroverts have a lower baseline level of internal arousal, in order that they need more external stimulation to perform at optimal levels.
That’s why introverts can look worse than extroverts with music within the background, especially when it is vitally exciting.
What are you doing
Research has shown that the character of the duty performed may also have a big impact.
Due to connections between music and language within the brain, trying to read and write while listening to complex music – especially music with lyrics – may be particularly difficult.
However, for those who’re performing a straightforward or repetitive task, akin to data entry or a manual task, playing music within the background might help with your productivity – especially upbeat and complicated music.
These findings could also be related to the influence of music on motivation and maintaining attention, in addition to activating the reward network within the brain.
Same type of music
An necessary and infrequently neglected factor is the form of music you listen to.
Research has shown this fast and loud music could also be more harmful for complex tasks akin to reading comprehension than soft and slow music.
Other studies have shown that listening to music can have a relaxing effect memory advantageswhile aggressive and unsightly music can have the alternative effect.
However, these effects also depend upon your personality, knowledge of music, and musical preferences, so the form of music that works best shall be different for everybody.
Music may be very satisfying and might have a positive effect on attention, mood and motivation.
Choosing music that’s meaningful, rewarding, and uplifting will likely assist you to increase your productivity, especially when performing easy tasks.
What about complex tasks?
It largely seems that the more complex and demanding the duty, the more distracting the background music may be.
One way to use the motivating and mood-enhancing effects of music to increase productivity within the workplace is to play music when you work.
Using music for improve your mood and focusing your attention before starting a piece task can assist you to grow to be more productive on that task.
It has been shown that playing music before a demanding task increase language skills especially.
So for those who’re about to do a cognitively demanding reading and writing task and you’re feeling such as you is perhaps distracted by music if it’s playing at the identical time, try listening to it right before you do the duty.
Find what works for you
Music may be each helpful and harmful to productivity within the workplace – the most effective advice is to experiment with different tasks and several types of music to discover what works best for you.
Try experimenting with your favorite music first by completing a sure bet.
Does music assist you to engage in a task? Or do you get distracted and begin delving deeper into the music? Listening to music without lyrics and with a powerful rhythm can assist you to focus on the duty at hand.
If you discover that music distracts you from your work, try scheduling music breaks throughout the day. Listening to music during breaks can improve your mood and increase your motivation, thereby increasing your productivity.
It is recommended to move to the rhythm of the music increase reward processingespecially in social situations.
Dancing has the additional advantage of getting you out of your chair and moving to the beat, so bonus points for those who manage to get a dance break!